Moonlight
by Loes-chan
Summary: Abby gets a nightmare of Gibbs dying. She goes to his apartment to check up on him, but finds herself in more trouble than she ever would have thought. Will Gibbs get to her on time? A Gabby fanfic. NOW COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1: Creepy things

Chapter 1: Creepy things

**A/N Hello everybody!**

**This will be my first fan fiction ever! I'm so excited! I read so many stories and always wanted to write my own, but there is so little time… :(  
>I'll try to upload a new chapter at least once a week, though!<br>I'm Dutch, so I probably will be making ****a lot**** of newbie mistakes. Mostly grammar and there are plenty of words I don't know. :$ Yes, I'm a probie: be easy on me please :)  
>Oh, when I use these: "hello", I mean someone is saying something. Everything <strong>_**Italic**_** is a thought.**

**I own NCIS just as much as I own a million dollar check. And I'm obviously not a millionaire otherwise I would be sitting on a cruise ship instead of writing this while I actually should do my homework. Sorry for the rambling! Enjoy! **

"What are you doing here?" Leroy Jethro Gibbs asked calmly, while pointing the gun at the man's head. The person on the ground looked up and snorted.  
>"Like I would tell you." He swept a strand of black hair out of his face in an arrogant way and stared at Gibbs with bright green eyes. The NCIS special agent couldn't help but notice that they matched with the shirt the man was wearing. He appeared to be around his mid-twenties and was obviously a foreigner, probably from West-Asia.<br>Gibbs wondered what kind of person would be so stupid as to break in in hís house. The guy sure didn't fit the profile, though. Too well-dressed for a thief. Too smug for a kid looking for some fun to do just out of boredom. Whatever he was, he was obviously a newbie, considering that Gibbs already heard him before he climbed through the window of his house.  
>He noticed the lack of fear in the man's eyes and he raised his eyebrows. If the guy was a marine, he'd have respect for that. But the man wasn't a marine, he was a criminal. And he knew how to make a criminal talk.<p>

"You gonna tell me _before _I shoot your head off or _after_?" he asked in a gruff voice. God, he hated arrogant people like that. His eyes didn't move an inch from the man's face when he removed the safety catch of his gun with a loud click. The sound resonated in the living room. Good thing no one was home besides himself.  
>Still no answer. In his eyes, that was suicide. Gibbs shrugged.<p>

"Okay," he stated as a matter-of-fact and aimed very carefully at the man's head. "Bye."  
>Still the foreigner did not move, and he seriously considered shooting him. But something stopped him. Why wasn't the guy scared to death? Someone pointed a gun at him, but he didn't even flinch. But if this guy was a newbie… that could only mean…<p>

That he wasn't alone.

He couldn't finish that last thought.  
>With full strength, someone hit his head with a hard object. The gun slipped out of his hands and skidded over the floor. He didn't notice anymore.<p>

"Gibbs! NO!" Abby bolted upright.  
>Tears where stinging in her eyes and her palms were sweaty. Her whole body was shivering. A blanket barely covered her feet. She looked around, disoriented. The familiar faces in the posters on the wall smiled at her just like they'd done when she'd fallen asleep that evening. Her coffin, the blanket with the skulls on it; everything was just as usual. Scared and confused, Abby knew she was in her bedroom. –Wait, that was a dream? No way! She rubbed the sleep -and hopefully all of the scary images with it- out of her eyes. <em>So it really was a dream,<em> she realized. _Thank god. I bet Gibbs is gonna smirk at me when I tell him this. As if he wouldn't hear someone coming from behind him._ No way could that happen to my silver-haired fox," she told her favorite voodoo doll that she put on the window sill. She pulled up her blankets and smiled at the pink and black skulls. They always calmed her down… usually. Abby didn't know why she couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong with Gibbs. Her small alarm clock told her that it was just past 3 am. Way too early to call. However, you never knew with the boss-man. He'd told her about the all-nighters he pulled working on his boat. Unlike many people, the bubbly Goth girl understood that. With his job, how else was he supposed to finish the thing? _  
><em>  
>And besides, there was NO way that she could fall asleep now. She was sliding with her right hand over the floor, trying to find her bat phone. Her hand closed around the small object and she flipped it open. The bright light hurt her eyes for a second, but slowly she could make out the numbers. Abby hit speed dial 1. She put his number on the first speed dial because he told her to, but she would have done it even if he didn't ask. Who else would she call when she found something important; who else would come to her rescue when someone tried to hurt her? Yeah, of course, Tony, Ziva and McGee could do the job, but no one was as scary as the boss-man… Her stomach clenched when she heard the familiar calling tone. Once. Twice. Three times now. <em>Come on, pick up,<em> she fervently thought. _This wasn't like Gibbs. This wasn´t like Gibbs at all! _The uneasy feeling turned in real-life fear then. Before she knew it, she was out of bed, dressed in a black cardigan and searching for her car keys.  
>She promised him not to go out on the street alone in the middle in the night.<br>But she'd broken that promise before. Nothing happened that time.  
>And this wasn't for a party or something. This was about Gibbs.<p>

She put on her coat and left her apartment. Abby immediately noticed that it was really, really cold. And it rained. Cold, wet drops fell on her face and she shivered. Good thing she dressed up warmly.

It wasn't a very long drive to Gibbs' house. Plus, there wasn't any traffic at all. The streets were deserted and gave off a dark and creepy vibe. Usually she'd like that. Now, not so much. When she arrived at the familiar house, she couldn't get out of her car sooner. There was no light shining from his basement or from anywhere else in the house. She wanted to press the button, but something stopped her. In a flash she knew it.

She was in a lot of trouble.


	2. Chapter 2: Out of the blue eyes

Chapter 2: Out of the blue_ eyes_

**A/N Hi Gabby fans! I probably died when I saw how many story alerts and reviews I got. It made me grin for almost half an hour. Honestly, you have no idea how happy you made me! * teary eyes* So if you want an overly happy me, all you gotta do is review. :)  
>So how did you like the title? :D I have to say I had a sort of black-out and mixed up my English with all of the other languages I speak. So if you find a few weird mistakes, you know why… Enough chit-chat: enjoy!<strong>

Leroy Jethro Gibbs wasn't much of a sleeper. Sometimes he even avoided the bed. It was one of his non-spoken rules: solving a case is more important than anything; even sleep. There were a lot of times they all had to stay up for multiple days. Besides, there were the nightmares, coming out of the night to haunt him.  
>But every human being needs sleep eventually, and after drinking a few glasses of bourbon, the special agent found himself in his bedroom. He looked at the empty bed, deeply in thoughts.<p>

It had not always been this way. When _they_ were still alive, he would wrap an arm around Shannon. Kelly would jump up and down on the bed and– NO. He wasn't ready to think about them.  
>Instead, he thought of someone else, someone who entered his mind more often every day. Sometimes, she would even keep the dreams away. Gibbs liked that, unlike so many people who did the same job, she stayed cheerful and honest. In a way, the forensic scientist was just as devoted to her job as he was. Of course, eventually she would find out that he was thinking about her <em>this<em> often. Maybe she already did. A few days ago, she caught him looking at her instead of at the evidence she just found. Instead of accusing him she smiled. And for a second, he believed it could be possible.  
>Even though she was so young and he was so bitter and, well, old. He closed his eyes in pain. <em>It wouldn't be normal!<em>  
>But Abby was not someone that you would exactly call "normal". She was… indescribable. He'd kissed her cheeks many times, but there was something different now. He felt a feeling he hadn't felt for so, so long.<br>He didn't believe it was something as complicated as being in love with her. But maybe, just maybe… it was as simple as that.  
><strong><br>**…..**  
><strong>  
>One of the streetlights blinked when out of the blue, the door of a black van rattled open. It was parked across the street so she didn't hear it at first.<br>Three men climbed out and crossed the street Abby turned around in surprise. The first two were huge: they wore identical black coats and both had shaved heads. She couldn't make out their faces because of the broken streetlight. They walked on the two sides of the third man, who seemed very small in comparison.

The last man came closer in an elegant way, supporting himself with an expensive looking walking cane. He grinned at her. Abby saw a flash of his golden crowns and gave him a repulsive look. The three men were obviously looking at her. Something about them, about their timing, seemed hinky. So she looked away and wanted to open Gibbs' front door.  
>"It's no use trrrying the doorrr. He locked it," the last man addressed her with an deep accent. <em>Italian, maybe?,<em> the girl thought before she realized what he was saying. The Goth girl turned to them in surprise.  
>"What? No way, Gibbs never locks his door! He promised me, so no way!" She walked away from the house, back to the street were the three men were standing.<br>"How would you know that?" The look she got made her suddenly shiver. "Who are you?" The men made her feel uncomfortable. The first two were one step behind of the last man, who looked like he was in charge. He was dressed in expensive clothing and his black, oily hair, was combed to one side of his head. His eyes were black and his skin was tanned; he was obviously a foreigner.  
>Abby labeled the man in the middle as the 'Alpha man'. Someone used to get what he wanted, whenever he wanted it.<p>

In other words: bad news.

"And just when we thought there was no way to get to someone close to the bastard." He grinned at her again. That, and the fact that she was wearing flat shoes, made her feel really small. Despite her fear, she gave him a dirty look.  
>"I repeat: who are you?" she asked with way more courage than she actually felt. The girl suddenly realized that she wasn't wearing her iron knuckles, or carried another kind of weapon with her. She'd been in such a hurry to get to Gibbs that she hadn't thought of it. But now, without her plateau heels and spikes, she almost felt not so much an invincible forensic scientist anymore.<br>The man let out an unpleasant laugh that made Abby want to get out of here. Now! She stepped back very slowly. Step by step she got closer to Gibbs garden walk. Inside, she was frantically begging him to be home. _Please, please, be home…  
><em>"I," said the stranger with the golden teeth, invading her personal space. ''am Gibbs –he pronounced the name as Gibze- his worrrst nightmarrre." He breathed in her face and the smell of expensive cigars filled her nose. Now she was really frightened. The Goth girl tried to back away, but he grasped her wrist in an iron hold.  
>Bam.<br>The material arts course she took finally paid off.  
>Abby hit his face with all of her strength. The man screamed and his hands flew up to his wounded eye. The two others immediately rushed towards him. The girl used it to open Gibbs fence and ran to his door. If only she could press the doorbell… He would wake up and safe her. He had to!<p>

But she didn't have enough time. Big hands grabbed her, pulled her back. _No! I have to... reach…  
><em>She fought against the strong hold, clawed her fingers in his face. Kicked. Screamed. And then, for a second, the grip weakened. The forensic scientist immediately took advantage of it and bit in the man's arm.  
>It worked. She was free! The girl flew up the front steps and reached for the doorbell.<br>She could almost reach it now. Her fingers were inches from the shiny button.  
>Someone grabbed her arm just before she could push it. One of the two big men pressed a smelly piece of fabric over her mouth. "No no no no! I won't let you!" Abby screamed in a wave of fury. She managed to break his hold for a second, and in that second made a lunge for the doorbell. A cheerful sound resonated through the house.<br>_I did it! _

The fabric was pressed on her mouth once again. This time, however, she couldn't free herself. Slowly everything started to blur and her feet could no longer hold her up. She was lost. But there was also hope. 'Cause her silver haired fox must have heard the doorbell. She would be… saved… in no… time… at… a…ll.

…..

The sound of the doorbell woke him up. The first thing he did was to check if his gun was still under his pillow. It was. Then he glanced at his alarm clock. 3.30 am.  
>"What the hell…?" He grunted to himself before stepping out of bed very carefully. He went downstairs very quietly, but not without taking his gun with him. The house was dark and quiet. The only sounds he heard where from a car outside. He walked through his living room and opened his front door just a little bit, ready to shoot.<p>

He glanced outside, and then pulled open his door.

Gibbs looked around. His blue eyes pierced the dark.

There was no one there.

**A/N Heh heh… liked that cliffie?**

**But to be honest: Yes, this chapter sucked. I know. I had A LOT of trouble with it. I had to use the dictionary! :$ Please don't stop reading this story, though: it'll get better. I swear! Oh, and I promise that the next chapters will be updated faster! Especially around Christmas, I'll have a bit more time.**


	3. Chapter 3: The reason behind

Chapter 3: The reason behind

**A/N Hi everyone!  
>Thank you for your reviews! I love you! I tried to update as soon as possible as a reward ;)<br>And yeah, I'm overdoing it with the cliffhangers… ah well.  
>I didn't have someone proof reading my chapter because there was too little time: so there will be mistakes. Sorry.<strong>

The street was deserted. The only thing he heard were the tired of a car somewhere in the distance. One of the streetlights blinked repeatedly. On and off. On and off. The light shone dimly on a bright, red vehicle that was parked in front of his house.  
>His heart stopped when he suddenly recognized the car.<br>Abby.  
>Panic flooded through him when he ran to her car, oblivious that he was still in his pyjamas. It was empty. He tried the door and found that it was slightly open. The driver's seat still felt warm when he rested his hand on it. She'd just been here, he realized.<br>"Abby?" he yelled, looking around wildly. No answer. Where the hell was she? He even checked under the car. No Abby. He ran inside again to get his cell phone. Urgently, he flipped it open and called her cell. It wasn't answered. Frustrated, he called her home number, remembering it without fail. Nothing  
>Wait, hadn't she stayed the night with Ziva today? He called her immediately. It didn't even took 2 seconds before the phone was answered.<br>"Yes?" Either she was still up or she was too well trained, Gibbs thought absent mindedly.  
>"Ziva." His voice sounded upset. "Abby with you?"<br>"Abby?" Her voice rose. "No, she went home yesterday, like everyone. Is something wrong?" She wasn't done talking, but he already hung up on her. He called Abby again. Still nothing. Her car was here, and she must have been here not too long ago. Did _she_ ring his doorbell? Maybe that car that he heard before had something to do with it? If so, did he come... too late?  
>Gibbs would never forgive himself if that was true. He couldn't think straight anymore.<br>The next number he called was Dinozzo's. Tony picked up just when he was about to hang up.  
>"Boss," he stated in a sleepy voice. "It's 3.35. That's practically in the middle of the night."<br>"Yeah? Well, get used to it!" he snarled annoyed. "It's Abby. She disappeared."  
>"WHAT? How-"<br>"Dinozzo!" Gibbs interrupted him. "Get your ass in DC. Now!" Tony's protest vanished like thin air and he stuttered a "Yes boss." (A/N Yeah I know that's wrong)  
>Last one: McGee. Meanwhile, the special agent was putting on some clothes, the phone pressed between his shoulder and ear as it rang. McGee always had a bit of both Tony and Ziva; he answered after a reasonable amount of time.<br>"Boss? A death body at this hour?" The youngest agent is his team sounded tired but alarmed.  
>"It's Abby." Gibbs swallowed because his mouth suddenly felt very dry. Panic was building up in his chest again. He couldn't lose Abby. He just couldn't. He knew how it felt when you lose someone you love; he already was too familiar with the heart-breaking feelings. He lost so many people, but not Abby. She was all he had left. If she would… disappear… it would be the biggest injustice of all.<br>"On my way, boss." McGee hung up. Something had happened to her on the way from her car to his house, and he needed to know why as soon as possible. Gibbs crushed his phone in his hands, before stuffing it in the pocket of his suit.

Now that he called his team, he put on the rest of his clothes and two minutes later he was on his way to DC with a speed that made his tires screech every time he made a round.

Good thing there wasn't any traffic at all. The less time he wasted on getting there, the better. The special agent wasn't someone who would easily admit his fear, but if it was about Abby things never were easy. He speeded his car up some more, breaking a few more traffic laws in the process.

The grey building was covered in darkness. So that meant that none of the others was here yet. Angrily, Gibbs wanted to dial the first number in his address book after Abby's: McGee's number. But just before he could finish dialing, another car joined his in the empty parking lot. McGee and Tony stumbled out of the back seat with a dazed look in his their eyes. Ziva got out of the front seat with a cat-like jump.  
>"I picked them up Gibbs," she explained, while gesturing in Tony and McGee's direction. "They are still a little…" She flinched when Tony walked into a solid wall. "disoriented." The mossad agent gave him a nervous smile, which he chose to ignore. He was already on his way to the elevator before his team noticed. He heard that they started running to catch up with him. Their loud footsteps resonated through the parking lot. Normally, he would secretly smile when no one was watching, but now his thoughts were miles away. Something bad happened to her, he knew it. His gut told him so. They waited in the elevator in silence. She couldn't be too far away already. There was still time. There <span>had<span> to be. So Leroy Jethro Gibbs marched to the nearest computer and snarled: "McGee, track her cell phone, NOW!" he added when the youngest agent hesitantly walked towards his desk. McGee immediately started typing like his life depended on it. The other two members of his team immediately flew to Gibbs side.  
>"Ziva, search for satellite images of my street from 2 am until now."<br>"Yes boss!"  
>"And, uhh, me, boss?" Tony asked, slightly nervous. Gibbs hesitated. It was too early to let him go through Abby's credit card records.<br>"Go help them!" he shouted and stormed away.

When Gibbs came in, he already noticed the difference. Abby's lab was cold and quiet. Without her loud music, black decorations and beeping machines, it seemed almost just like an ordinary lab. The absence of the Goth forensic scientist was disturbing, even felt 'wrong' in a way. He needed to get her back in her lab, where he could keep her safe. Right by his side: where she belonged. Wait. He froze. "Wha.." he mumbled to himself, surprised. _Why did I think that? It's not like it's really possible… for us to be … more. _He used to say it all the time: _Last thing I need is another wife. _But somehow, that didn't feel as definite as it did before. But Gibbs always had been a man of priorities and right now, Abby had disappeared. He couldn't think about his feelings for her when she was in danger somehow. No matter how messed up his head was right now, he had to think now.  
>He forced himself to look through her things, searching for a clue; anything that could lead to her whereabouts. Of course, he wasn't that lucky. He only found her grey stuffed animal, Bert the hippo. Gibbs knew how much the toy meant to her, so he took it with him. And with the stuffed animal grasped in his hand he, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, made a promise. Whatever it took, he would safe her. Even if it cost him his life. Because she was his forensic scientist. Because she was Abby. And because he loved her.<p> 


	4. Chapter 4: The wake up

Chapter 4: The wake up

I suddenly realized I've been forgetting to properly give you information about my story!

So:  
>Author: Loes-chan<br>Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS, although I keep Mark Harmon in my closet. Right where he belongs.  
>Classification: AbbyGibbs stuff. Hurt, family, drama, love.  
>Rating: T (13+, just to be sure. You never know how this story will end up right? ^^)<br>Spoilers: None. I made up the whole thing.  
>Beta: didn't have time for that; I wanted to upload it as soon as possible, but remember: I'm not English, so sadly there'll be a lot of mistakes.<p>

**A/N Thanks ****dolphinsiren is me**** and ****NCISMASH4ever**** for your kind reviews! I hope I'll live up to your expectations. My English has –hopefully- improved and so far it has not bothered people so that's a relief. I have to say my vocabulary is still not really good so it means a lot to me.  
>Thanks everyone who follows my story! <strong>

**I'm a little spacey right now cause I just re-watched the episode kill Ari part 1 and GOD Abby and Gibbs are so CUTE. When he drops his coffee… and comforts her… I kept screaming "Ari die!" the whole time though. My father is a little freaked out.. :S**

**But let's go back to the story now, shall we? Abby has disappeared, and where did she go? How does the team handle it and can Gibbs find her in time? If you want the answer, start reading ;)  
>(Btw, The names Danai and Jadelyn are pronounced as D<strong>**àn-a****and Jade-lin).**

Preview from chapter 3:  
><em>And with the stuffed animal grasped in his hand he, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, made a promise. Whatever it took, he would safe her. Even if it cost him his life. Because she was his forensic scientist. Because she was Abby Scuito. And because he loved her.<em>

His phone went off. Could it be… With awkward hands he managed to get the thing out of his pocket and picked up. "Abby?" he asked immediately.  
>"Uh, no, boss," McGee nervously said. Gibbs felt disappointment rushing through him. He could bite his tongue for showing that much weakness. "We got something," the youngest agent of his team continued.<br>"On my way." Gibbs clapped his phone shut with way more force than necessary. He was angry at himself, because it was his fault, his fault that she was missing. If only he hadn't drunk too much, he would have heard someone that was about to ring his doorbell right away. Especially if there had been a struggle. But, Gibbs wondered: why would she come to his house in the middle of the night? What did she find out that would cause her to speed to his place at 3 am? Why that late? It didn't make sense. It wasn't like Abby never stayed up that late to investigate some evidence, but he always knew it if she did. There weren't any on-going cases at the moment so he couldn't understand… The team leader tried to think like the forensic scientist. She had been home, but suddenly she decided to go to him.  
>To confess something she felt guilty about because she couldn't sleep? Possible, but then again, she wouldn't wait that long to confess something; Abby definitely couldn't keep something from him for more than, what, 3 seconds? So not an option.<br>Maybe she had a nightmare and was scared? It wasn't the first time she needed comfort after a bad dream. Hmm. Could be… but in that case, what would cause her to be in such a hurry? Unless…

_Unless she thought I was in danger._

That would explain the hurrying, the open car door, the time… But why would she think that? A nightmare wouldn't be enough to cause such a realistic fear. Besides, that would be too much of a coincidence. And Leroy Jethro Gibbs didn't believe in coincidences.

…..

Abby Sciuto was in pain. Serious pain. Her head felt like someone just trampled on it and her eyes wouldn't open, no matter how hard she tried. Something kept her telling her to wake up, though. But it hurt so much, it hurt…  
>"Are you alright, miss?" a small children's voice asked close to her ear. She frowned, trying to make her head work again. Finally, she found that she could think through the pain. The forensic scientist discovered that she was laying flat on a floor. Slowly, she raised her hand and touched her head. No blood. Good.<br>Her mouth felt very dry so she moved her tongue, trying to create some saliva.  
>"What happened?" She managed to say with a cracked voice. Her eyes still felt like they were glued to her face so she didn't try to open them yet.<br>"You've been kidnapped, miss," she heard the small voice say.  
>"What?" Still dazed, she tried to open her eyes once again and found that she could. They felt swollen en painful and her surroundings were blurry. Abby rubbed her eyes, trying to get some vision back. When it did, she simply waited for her head to give her an explanation of where she was and why. No memories came flooding back, no logic explanation came to her. That was so strange that she could just look around dumb-founded.<br>Abby found herself in a small, dark room. Dim light shone in through the only window, showing her that she wasn't alone.

…..

HQ  
>McGee pushed on a button and made a connection from his computer to the main screen so everyone could see what he was doing. Tony and Ziva were sharing worried looks.<br>"What do you think happened to Abby?" Ziva whispered to him. "It must be something bad otherwise he wouldn't wake us at 3 pm."  
>"He told me she disappeared," Tony answered. His face was pale and his fists were clenched. "He never explained, but if it is what I think it is…" He took a deep breath. "she is in a lot of trouble".<p>

They looked up when McGee jumped up.  
>"Ziva, Tony, I did it!" He pointed at the main screen. It showed a map with a little red light flashing on and off. McGee pointed at it.<br>"This is Abby's cell phone. As you can see, it's moving. That means-"  
>"She is in a car." Gibbs walked towards them with a determined look on his face. "Gear up and do it fast!" He stormed away. It wasn't that far… maybe they could even catch up with them if he drove fast enough…<br>The team ran to the elevator.

…..

A little boy who looked like he was a year of 8 or 9 was sitting next to her. His face showed fear and he crept backwards when she tried to sit up. It didn't really work well, since her feet were all tangled and awkward and she fell back on the floor. Her head hit the floor and for a second it all went black again. She closed her eyes and waited for the pain to pass. Slowly it became less painful and she breathed out in a shudder.  
>She almost screamed when a small hand was placed on her arm.<br>"Can I help you sit up?" A different voice this time. Abby forced herself to open her eyes again. A pair of bright blue eyes in a face covered with dirt stared at her. The young girl, maybe 6, gave her a watery smile. The girl was covered in brown sand and her blonde hair was sticking to her face.  
>"We'll help you, ma'am." Abby looked over to her other side and blinked a few times, wondering if her eyes were playing tricks on her.<br>"We're twins, ma'am," the other girl said. "I'm Danai and that's Jadelyn." She both grasped her arm and together they managed to get her with her back resting against the wall. After that, Abby had to regain her breath and for a while she was just fighting back the blackness. The moment passed. Everything still was a mess. Why couldn't she figure out where she was and who were those children? She stopped herself from panicking._ No. I have to calm down. One thing at a time. _  
>The first thing the forensic scientist did was to check herself on any injury, except the pain in her head. No broken ribs, no wounds; all she could find was a twisted ankle.<br>_Good. I'm not really injured. Now, why does my head hurt so much?  
><em>Suddenly, she could finally place the weird taste in her mouth. Her eyes widened. Gamma hydroxybutyrate….In other words: GHB. That meant she was drugged!

And then it hit her. The whole evening came back to her: the nightmare about Gibbs, and how she rushed to his house. And after that, the three men…. Realization struck.  
>She gasped.<p>

Gibbs hadn't saved her.


	5. Chapter 5: Stuck

Chapter 5: Stuck

**A/N Hi everyone,  
>Merry Christmas! I hope you all have a really great days with maybe gifts and family and hopefully snow… cause here it's not gonna happen.<br>But I'm still happy 'cause Christmas is one of my favorite holidays… Just like Abby!  
>It's not Christmas in my story, because then things would get really depressing. Imagine Abby not able to celebrate Christmas... Exactly.<strong>

**So this is my Christmas gift to you all! An extra long chapter! It might be a little confusing here and there, but please hang in there; after all the explanations, it will get fun ;) **

**Sorry I haven't updated in a few days. I have a little more time now every day, so I'll try to update faster… especially since all of you are so kind with reviews I'm really, really, really touched.  
>Thanks to my friend, who was so… kind… as to inform me about a mistake I made. (Good thing you're Dutch or else I would've killed you. Yeah, I know you would love to see me try. But still. I would.)<strong>

**Oeh, and no one found the word yet. Mmm, I'll put it in this chapter, too. Enjoy!**

Disclaimer stuff: See chapter 4. I'm lazy.

Preview: _And then it hit her. The whole evening came back to her: the nightmare about Gibbs, and how she rushed to his house. And after that, the three men…. Realization struck.  
>She gasped.<em>

Gibbs hadn't saved her.

Xxxx

"How far?" Gibbs yelled over the roar of the engine. His hands were clasped around the steering wheel as if his life depended on it. McGee and Ziva were both pressed in their seats in the back, while Tony was sitting next to him, his face pale. He was holding a tracking device and desperately tried to make out the small numbers that kept changing.  
>"Uh, we're twenty minutes behind them… I think," he yelled back. After a minute, he added hopefully: "Boss, I think we're catching up to them!" His boss responded to that by pressing the accelerator even more. It made everyone gasp and fear for their lives.<p>

Gibbs didn't even hear it. His mind felt paralyzed. He was terrified of coming too late, of being unable to get to her before- before something bad happened. If it did, it would be his fault. He didn't think he could live with that. He'd been through that before, losing his family… and then losing Kate, Jenny and his boss. But he went on, no matter how much he would pay for it, no matter how hard it had been. For his job, for the people around him and for himself, because he wouldn't be able to live.  
>But without Abby being there, not hearing her absurd loud music or seeing her dancing through her lab… All the moments when she did not notice him, watching her, kept playing through his head. Sometimes when he came down he saw her talking to her stuffed animal or her "babies". The softness he heard in her voice made him want to go to her and just wrap his arms around her. The agent clenched his teeth. Just like now. He wanted to make sure she was safe again and he was never letting her go. Although he wasn't sure he would ever be able to tell her. Because if he did, and she didn't felt the same way, she would be hurt. And he wouldn't ever make himself hurt her. Tony interrupted his thoughts.<br>"Boss, we gotta be on the same road, the thing says 4 minutes." His head snapped up and he closed his eyes a little, trying to see something in the darkness. His sight wasn't that good so he kept peering through his lashes, just like that one time when Abby asked him to look at a photo. He didn't want to, but of course he did; she could make him do things just by smiling at him. McGee unbuckled his seatbelt and jumped up, holding himself up on Dinozzo's seat.  
>"That means we could see them any moment now!"<br>Gibbs gut screamed that had to go to her, now, now, now, now! It was driving him crazy not knowing where she was.  
>Three more minutes.<br>He would hold her. And never letting her go anymore.  
>Two more minutes.<br>He would kill the goddamn bastard if he layed even one dirty finger on Abby.  
>One minute.<p>

Xxx

Abby woke up to a hard sound. Not her usual alarm. Not the heather either. For one second, she didn't recognize her surroundings, or the man that just slammed the door open.  
>Then it all came back.<p>

There were five of them. Only one adult: a man who was in his forties, who looked like he was ill. The rest were children. They had one thing in common: they were all kidnapped.

_"Where am I?" Abby managed to say. Her mouth was still very dry and her headache was still way too heavy for her to be able to think clearly. The floor she sat on was made of rough, brownish stones. A thin layer of dusty sand covered everything, even the grayish walls, also made of stones. It looked a little like those prehistoric cave houses, she thought sleepily.  
>"We don't know. We hoped you would," A husky voice came from a corner. Her eyes pierced the dimness of the room. She saw the silhouette of a man and pressed her back firm against the cold wall. The man appeared to notice her distress because he made his way to the small beam of light so she could see him. He was tall, but slim. Light brown hair fell in short strands over his tanned face. "My name is Victor, Victor LaRouch. I'm here because of my brother's fortune. The kids all have rich parents. And you?" Abby frowned. She didn't get it.<br>"What? But… why are we here? What is this place?"  
>"We don't know. They never let us out. If you look out of the window, all you can see is the sky. No clues there." He coughed heavily. "Sorry. I meant they ask a ransom."<br>Abby let that sink in. She rubbed over her face and tried to clear her mind. Maybe if she pulled up her hair, things would seem more logical. Things always were logical. She was a forensic scientist; she had to trust the facts. She took one of the elastics that she always kept around her wrist, and tied up one ponytail.  
>Fact number one: she was in a room she didn't know. Fact number two: she was drugged. So that meant the creepy man with the golden teeth had taken her by force and put her here. Question was: why would he do it? And who were those other people? No, no, no. She forced herself to concentrate on the facts.<br>Fact number three: the man and the children didn't know where they were. –_Wait, they had mentioned they were kidnapped before! So that means we're all imprisoned here.  
><em>She pulled up the rest of her hair for the second ponytail to calm herself down.<br>Fact number four: it had something to do with a ransom."  
>The children had silently been observing her, but now the two girls crept towards her.<br>"Do you know our mom? Is she looking for us?" "Can you help us escape?" They both talked through each other. _(A/N yeah, that's probably wrong. Stupid google translater.)_ Shocked, Abby realized that these little children were put in this dirty room, all alone and scared.  
>"How… how many of you are there?" she stammered.<br>"Sorry, you don't even know why you are here, did you? Luca was like that, too you know. There are five of us: me, the twins… They're called Danai and Jadelyn, both six years old. They are kidnapped because their father is a high-class director who wouldn't cooperate. Then there's Luca… Come on, boy, show yourself." A boy snorted, but came closer anyway. He was small but his brown eyes were bright. Despite it, the girl could also see the pain and fear reflected in them. He was dressed in rags. Abby felt a pang shoot through her chest. She noticed in horror that the children were way too skinny and covered in dirt. _What kind of monster would do this?_  
>The man continued. "He is eight years old. And last, there's another girl. But she refuses to speak." He gestured to another dark corner. Shadows moved when a girl crept into the light. She moved her fingers in a small gesture, almost unnoticed. But Abby sparred her eyes wide open.<br>"No, she just can't: she's deaf!" She started signing. The girl stared at her in unbelief, but then started to sign back. Two minutes later, the forensic scientist found out that the girl was twelve years old and was named Jasmine. She was kidnapped because her father was the Mayor of some town… He didn't go along with the plans of a powerful man and therefore, they took her. The forensic scientist shivered. She still didn't get why she was here. What importance could she possible have?_

The moonlight caught Abby's eye. She looked up, out the window, still dizzy of the mess she was in.

_Oh Gibbs_, she thought_. I'm so sorry._  
>It's going to take a lot longer to get me out of here.<em><br>She stared at the moon in horror when the truth became clear. There was no doubt possible; the position of the moon didn't lie.  
>"Crap," she said, attracting everyone's attention. "We're in Mexico." <em>

_Soon after that, before she could explain, her headache worsened. Everything became just… too much too handle. All she could do was to close her eyes and to let herself slip back to the floor. Victor said something but she didn't hear him anymore. She drifted away._

Abby woke up to a hard sound. Not her usual alarm. Not the heather either. For one second, she didn't recognize her surroundings, or the man that just slammed the door open.  
>then it all came back to her.<br>"Welcome to the club, miss Scuito," a malice voice said. Abby looked at his face and paled.  
>"You!" was all she could say.<p> 


	6. Chapter 6: Real or Unreal?

_Chapter 6: real or unreal?_

**A/N I'm afraid it's gonna take a while before I can give you real Gabby action… But don't be afraid; it'll come. I'm a little stuck in giving explanations without the story getting… boring. Please, tell me if it is… :( **

**- Dear dear readers,  
>It's the second day of Christmas and I wish you all the peace and love in the world.<br>Thank you so much for reading, I really love you all. You made my day, my week, maybe my month, hell maybe my year. (well that's not really hard to say isn't it?)  
>So today I give you an extra long chapter too! Merry Christmas! I'm eating Christmas cake while writing this and I gotta say I love these days.<strong>

**Thank you, ****cheether****, for correcting me. I thought it was a very funny mistake. :)  
>And thank you, my dearest friend Tino, who helped me a lot with my language issues and stuff. She always helps when I get stuck and inspired me to write fan fiction. Please keep helping me!<br>As for the rest: Please remember I'm a newbie and not even English. So forgive me if I make a couple -or a lot- of mistakes.**

**Disclaimer: see chapter 4.  
>Warning: Spoiler season 2x22, SWAK<strong>

_Preview:  
>Abby woke up to a hard sound. Not her usual alarm. Not the heather either. For one second, she didn't recognize her surroundings, or the man that just slammed the door open.<br>Then it all came back to her.  
>"Welcome to the club, miss Scuito," a malice voice said. Abby looked at her face and paled.<br>"You!" was all she could say._

…..

Gibbs car almost flew over the highway with an impossible high speed. The whole team was trying desperately to spot a car in front of them.  
>They rounded a corner on two wheels and suddenly they spotted it: red and orange backlights. A vehicle appeared right in front of them. It was a large truck and they wondered how they could've missed it until now. Their boss speeded up and passed the truck, subsequently cornering it.<br>The truck came to an abrupt halt when its path was blocked. Gibbs was already out of the car when it hadn't fully stopped moving yet, his gun drawn. He looked through the small window of the passenger seat.  
>A bald man was staring at him with round eyes. His hands flew up when he spotted the gun.<br>"Please… I've got no money. Don't shoot, don't shoot!" He yelled agitated. Gibbs pulled the truck door open and brought his gun very close to the man's face.  
>"That depends. Where is she?" He demanded. The truck driver began to sweat.<br>"What… I don't know what you're talking about…"  
>"Like hell you do!" Gibbs snarled. He pressed the weapon against the man's throat. "You have three seconds to tell me or I'll blow your head off! One… Two…" The man winced.<br>"No, please, I swear, I don't know anything! No!" The special agent snorted and was about to shoot the guy –not fatal, of course- when he was interrupted.  
>"Boss!" Tony yelled from the back of the vehicle, attracting his attention. "The truck is empty! She's definitely not here!" <em>What? No! She got to be –She had to be!<em>  
>Gibbs turned to the driver in unbelief.<br>"Where is Abby! What did you do to her!"  
>"Boss?" McGee's voice. "I found her cell phone. It was in the trunk: stuffed inside a box of, uh, bananas." Gibbs gave the man another threatening glare but then jumped out of the cabin and snatched the cell phone out of the probie's hands. It was a black cell phone with a bat printed on it.<br>There was no doubt.  
>It was Abby's phone.<br>Gibbs cursed, unconsciously hugging the small black object to his chest. He was gonna get the person that was responsible, he was gonna kill him- or her, for that part. And when Leroy Jethro Gibbs was on to someone, everyone feared for their lives.  
>"Someone must have put it there… I just picked those boxes up at the previous gas station, I swear I didn't know," The driver rambled. No one listened to him. They were all desperately trying to figure out what to do now.<br>"Damn," Gibbs cursed again. He put all of his strength in a punch against the side of the truck.  
>"Hey!" The owner objected angry, but the special agent didn't pay any attention to him. He walked to his car, got in, and slammed the door shut. The other members of his team gave the driver an apologizing look and they also went to the car.<p>

It was going to be a very long night.

…..

Abby stared up in horror at the person that just came in. It was a woman, mid-twenties maybe. She stood very balanced on killer heels and had an air of confidence around her that showed in the way she flipped her dark hair over her shoulder and flashed the Goth girl a toothpaste smile. _I know that woman… But from where?_  
>"Ah, look at you. Still Gothic? Some people never grow up, do they?" She added to a Chinese man that had followed her into the room. He didn't answer. The girl looked at the woman, trying to figure out why she suddenly felt so scared.<br>"Oh well, we're all very glad you're here! A real forensic scientist in our cellar; I'm honored!" It was obvious she didn't mean a word of it. She gave Abby a patronizing look. "Oh, you _do_ recognize me, do you?" She snorted. "Of course it's been a while since you took my DNA and sent my mom to prison, even though she was already dying." Abby gasped as the pieces fit into place.  
>Details of the case flew through her mind: Tony got a letter, "sealed with a kiss". It contained a white powder that appeared to be bacteria: Tony got the plague. She remembered how Gibbs came into her lab in a bubble suit, as not to contaminate anyone. They discovered that it had something to do with an unsolved rape case. The mother of the raped victim wanted them to re-open her daughter's case. But she was dying of a brain tumor and just went crazy on the way to the office. The daughter confessed that she made the whole thing up but her mother still had to go to prison for attempted murder of a special agent.<p>

""You do remember me," she stated. She closed the door behind her and went to stand in the middle of the room. "She did it because of _me,_ you know. She was just being a good mother. But you still sent _her_ to prison. While she was _dying! _ But no, why would that bastard Gibbs care?" Her voice turned furious. "I was left heartbroken. I didn't know where to go when she… died. But then I met someone who wants that bastard dead just as much as I do. And now you're here…" She grinned maliciously. "I can finally get my revenge." Abby became more and more upset as the woman continued talking.  
>The forensic scientist tried to get up but her legs wouldn't cooperate. So she gave up and just planted her hands at her side.<br>"You know, Sarah, your "good" mother almost killed Tony! And the reason she did that was your fault! You were the one that lied in the first place! And it isn't Gibbs' fault that you're mother was ill! That is not HIS fault, you hear me?" She yelled louder and louder. "He didn't even know she was send to priso-"  
>"Shut her up," demanded Sarah, interrupted her. She fell abruptly silent when the Chinese man slapped a piece of duck-tape over her mouth. Still trying to continue screaming, Abby tried to tear the tape off, but the man was faster. He grabbed her hands and tied them together with tape.<br>"Too bad we don't need you today. I would love to see Gibbs' face when he realizes he lost his favorite… for good." The girl went cold. _No! You won't hurt him! I won't allow you! _She didn't give up that easily and frantically tried to continue speaking, but all she produced were muffled sounds. The woman snickered again and gestured something to the Chinese man, who let her go. He directed his attention to the other hostages, who were cuddled together in a corner. The man coughed a few times, his body shaking violently.  
>"My, my, getting ill, too? So you know how it feels then," she commented<br>"If you do, why don't you free me, then?" the man rasped.  
>"Too bad. I can't help you, mister LaRouche. You're not here because of me. I'm just an accomplice of the real big boss. Now, were're the twins… Ah. You pick one," she ordered the man. He grabbed Jadelins arm and pulled her upwards. The child immediately began to scream, fighting the grip he had on her arm. But apparently the man was a skilled fighter because he hit her in a place in her neck and she immediately fell limp in his arms.<br>"Jadelin! No!" Danai made a plunge for her twin sister, but Victor stopped her, wrapping his arms around her.  
>"You can't save her. They'll hurt you, too," he whispered soothing in her ear, a lonely tear falling down. He continued to hold the little girl there while she fought and cried. Sarah was observing the whole scene with an amused look.<br>"How touching. Well, good news for this little brat here; the cops have arranged for one of you to be set free. So if everything goes alright, she should be fine." Danai stopped struggling and stared at the woman with clouded eyes."Of course, there's also the possibility that the feds don't keep their part of the deal. And we all know what will happen then…" Laughing, she disappeared through the door, the Chinese man trailing her with the unconscious little girl in his arms. The door slammed close.  
>Abby saw how the other sister finally managed to get free. The girl flew to the door and scratched with her nails over the solid wood, screaming her sister's name. Tears fell down the goth girls cheeks when she saw the child break down, sobbing on the cold floor.<br>Right then and there, she swore she would get them all out of here.

…..

He knew he lost his only clue the moment McGee showed him Abby's cell phone. The ones that did this were a lot smarter than he thought. What to do know? Mostly he just trusted his gut…  
>Suddenly he knew. The special agent turned to McGee with a penetrating stare.<br>"Ya think you can track the results of the satellite imagery of my street using your PDA… in exactly the time I need to get to the previous gas station?  
>"Uuh, I don't know…" McGee stuttered. The whole situation was freaking him out. Abby was missing, but Gibbs didn't let them in on the details. It was so frustrating that it made him really nervous. "Maybe… Depends on-" Before he could utter a whole lot of technical details, his boss interrupted him.<br>"Yeah, whatever: just do it. Ziva you help him!" He took off, pressing the accelerator all the way down. The car shot forward with a bang. With renewed force he raced down the highway, desperately hoping his gut was right.

A/N So what do you think? Please let me know if you think I should change something.


	7. Chapter 7: Dreaming with your eyes open

Chapter 7: dreaming with your eyes open

Disclaimer: See chapter 4.  
>Spoilers: none.<br>Beta: Tino-channn

**A/N Hi everybody!  
>I'm writing this at 8 pm with my cute little sister cuddled next to me, trying to read the text on the screen. It's really funny cause she still learning how to read (she's a 6-year-old) and, well, she's not exactly English. So with a lot of effort she reads: "c-h-a-p-t-e-r… Kaptur?" The word chapter has no meaning in Dutch and she's doesn't really understand what a different language is. Awww. :)<strong>

**I'm really touched that everyone seems to like my chapter. It really boosts my self confidence!**  
><strong>You should hear me when I'm writing a chapter. It's just… I'm missing the words. Sometimes I'll run to my friend in misery because of some stupid word I can't remember. She's great even though she can be verrrrry mean (yes I'm talking to YOU, Tino). Well, I love you all –sorry for the long AN! You can start reading now!**

_Preview  
>Gibbs took off, pressing the accelerator all the way down. The car shot forward with a bang. With renewed force he raced down the highway, desperately hoping his gut was right.<em>

McGee had tracked down the satellite footage the moment they arrived. Every team member watched in horror when they say Abby being dragged off in a black van by three unknown men. Ziva gasped, McGee's face turned really red out of anger and Tony got real pale. But Gibbs just smashed his jaw together. He knew it. He'd known something was really, really wrong when he opened his front door, only so few hours ago. The imagery was very fuzzy so they could barely make out any faces, but as by a miracle they could make out a license plate. It didn't just give them hope. It gave them a lead.

The gas station seemed closed down when they approached it. But when they parked in front of the little building, they saw flickering candlelight shining through the small windows.  
>"Wow," Dinozzo said, impressed. "This vibe I'm getting is just like… What's that movie again? You know," he poked McGee in his side. "The movie with the spooky gas station and all those zombies..." Everyone looked at him like he was crazy. Except Gibbs, who just gave him a penetrating glare. In response, the senior field agent gave them an apologizing smile. "Shutting up now, boss." His boss gave him an extra angry look and got out of the car without saying a word.<br>"What? What did I do?"  
>Ziva patted Tony's shoulder, giving him look that said: if-you-don't-know-that-then-you're-stupid.<br>"No one wants to hear about zombies at 5 o´clock in the morning, Tony!" McGee added.  
>Dinozzo thought about that for a second, then looked up confused.<br>"What? Who doesn't want to hear about awesome zombie movies? I mean, you could wake me up anytime for a Resident Evil movie marathon. Have you seen that main character? I would love to get a taste of those-"  
>"Come on McGee, we're getting out!" Ziva interrupted, by swinging the car down open en pulling a sleepy-looking Tim with her, leaving Tony alone. He followed them soon enough into the building. Gibbs was hovering over a short man. His body language showed his team that their boss was not very happy.<br>"I said: I don't freaking care about a warrant so ya better show me the camera footage NOW." Gibbs was definitely pissed off and luckily for the owner of the gas station, he got the message. He swiped the sweat from his forehead with a bright red handkerchief.  
>"Okay, okay! Listen: my shift has just begun so I don't really know about boxes or some truck, but I'll show you cops the footage right away, sir." He turned a computer screen that looked like it barely survived the dinosaurs and opened a file. Black-and-white popped up on the screen.<br>"I know it's not really good quality," the man said, nervously lightning up a cigarette, "but we ain't buying a better camera." He mumbled it so soft that no one really heard him except Tony, who chuckled. That earned him a few disapproving looks. Now the senior field agent was really offended. He pretended not to see the camera footage anymore when suddenly he noticed everyone staring at him.  
>"Eh, sorry, what did I miss?" he asked sheepish. Ziva rolled her eyes and the other two agents just sighed annoyed. After that he decided to pay attention anyway.<br>Meanwhile, Gibbs was rubbing his eyes, cursing his diminishing eyesight. The footage was indeed of very bad quality and he just wished he could send it to Abby so she could work her magic. But the chances of finding her today where growing less and less by every minute that passed. They saw the boxes being dropped off by a big truck.  
>"McGee," he growled. "Stop the tape around… 4 am and play it slowly." The youngest agent of his team pressed a few keys.<br>"Right… the truck should have been here around… now." He pressed the pause key.  
>"Look!" Tony pointed at the edge of the screen. "That's gotta be the black van! Continue to play it, probie." They all watched the black van appear in the screen and stop in front of the gas station. A man jumped out with something in his hand.<br>"That's gotta be Abby's cell phone!" The man looked around and they got a good view of his face.  
>"I'm gonna get a possible ID out of that picture, boss!" McGee yelled enthusiastically, his fingers flying over the keyboard. The stranger on the camera saw the boxes and let the phone slip in, between some empty bottles. After that, he ran back to his car and disappeared in the opposite direction. Gibbs slammed his hand on the table. These people were way smarter than he thought. They had followed a false trail. They had wasted so much time! He growled and shoved his chair back in one swift move.<br>"We're taking the footage with us," he demanded and left.  
>He had no other choice.<br>There was only one thing he could do now.

…..

Abby was sitting in a corner of the way too familiar room. Danai was sleeping in her arms, her head resting against Abby's shoulder. Her arms were cradled around the child, pressing her against her chest. Softly, she stroked Danai's blonde hair and noticed that the girl's cheeks were still wet. The child had fallen asleep crying. Abby almost started crying herself again. To lock up little children, you had to be pure evil. Right after Sarah and her helper left, Danai had broke down completely. None of them could make her stop crying. So Abby had grabbed the child in one of her hugs and started singing. When she was a little girl she would go to church and there was this one song, that had always calmed her down when she was sad or angry.  
><em>Be silent, be patient, everything will be alright, in heaven and on earth. Be silent, be patient, everything will be new. On heaven and on earth.<br>_And finally, Danai stopped sobbing. She rested her head down on Abby's shoulder and just passed out from exhaustion.  
>It hurt the forensic scientist the most that she was so powerless, that she couldn't stop the man from hurting the kids. Victor had fallen asleep too, sometimes coughing in his sleep. He probably also passed out, like all the others.<br>Now, with nothing to do except to listen to the breathing around her, Abby focused on Gibbs.  
>She didn't really believe in telepathy and that kind of stuff, but it could never hurt to try, right? So she closed her eyes and thought of Gibbs.<br>His piercing blue eyes, his crooky smile that he only showed her. The moments when they flirted, just to mess around… but there were times when he even dropped his beloved coffee to come to her aid. But also the time when he started to change around her.  
>She didn't really know when it started, weeks, months back? He smiled at her and suddenly she knew. He was her boss, he was older, and yet…<br>Yet their relationship didn't feel like merely friendship anymore.

_You can hear me Gibbs? Cause if you can, it would be awesome. Then we don't even need sighning anymore. But I guess you can't cause otherwise you would be here already.  
>I wanna bet you're out there right now, searching for me. That's good, but please don't worry too much! It's not good for you!<br>_She hesitated, what was she going to say?  
><em>I'm in Mexico, Gibbs, and you gotta be fast because those children won't be able to hold on for very long anymore.<em>  
>Now that she was in Mexico, it wasn't going to be easy for him. But she was sure. He would come. And when he did, all hell was going to break loose.<br>But he couldn't hear her and she knew she was going to need the energy that she got out of sleeping, but she simply couldn't. She had to do something. She couldn't let Gibbs do everything.  
>So, with one child sleeping in her arms and the others close to her feet, Abby Sciuto started to think like the forensic scientist she was, on a plan how to escape.<p>

_Oh, and Gibbs, since you won't hear this anyway…  
>Please, please be careful. Because you´re Gibbs. Because you´re my silver-haired fox.<br>And because I love you._

After that, she also closed her eyes. And slowly, a plan started forming in her head.


	8. Chapter 8: Plans don't always work out

Chapter 8: plans don't always work out

Beta: Tino-chan (I can't remember your fanfiction name, get a decent one!)  
>Spoilers: none.<br>Disclaimer: I don't own NICIS. Just Mark Harmon, whom I keep in my closet at all times.

**A/N Dear everyone,**

**This morning I woke up early because it´s my dad´s birthday! Me and my sister prepared breakfast while my other sister (I mentioned her in the prev chapter) was holding up my dad upstairs.  
>I wasn't planning on writing today, but I checked my email while getting the croissants out of the oven.<br>I was in shock. This is only chapter 8 and I already got 26 reviews!  
>I'm so incredibly touched and grateful!<br>When I'm overly happy my voice just… rises one octave. So I just ran to my sister, screaming: Omg people like my story! That's how happy you made me!**

**As a thank you, I'll immediately start writing chapter 8.**

And I want to thank all the reviewers and yes I mean YOU:  
>lainou, camiguin, cheether, K.G, Marta von Trapp, STLFAN, smush68, Stephanie-BB-JISBON-CASKETT, dolphinsiren is me, gibbsgirlie08, RAIKIM4everlover, Red Wrier, NCISMASH4ever and NickandGregNumberOneSlashFan <br>I really love you all.

_Preview  
>They had wasted so much time! He growled and shoved his chair back in one swift move.<br>"We're taking the footage with us," he demanded and left.  
>He had no other choice.<br>There was only one thing he could do now._

He had to get back to the HQ –it was the only place they could do something with the lead they just got. Here, with no equipment, it was worth nothing.  
>It didn't take them long to drive back, even though slowly more traffic showed up. Some people honked at Gibbs' speed, but it wasn't like he cared.<br>The building was still empty –or so it seemed. When the team approached their desks and turned on the lights, someone was standing at the railing above them, looking down.  
>With his marine senses, Gibbs noticed immediately. He glanced up and looked a few seconds at the person standing there.<br>"You all get to work. I need results. Fast!" He directed at his team and stormed away.

…..

"Jenny."  
>"I told you, Gibbs, it's director Shephard for you."<br>"What are you doing here?" He asked, ignoring what she said.  
>"I heard about Abby –No, not from her kidnappers," the red-haired woman added when she saw the special agent open his mouth.<br>"Ziva texted me." Gibbs looked down at his team with a frown on his face.  
>"Don't you blame her for that!" Jenny spoke up, leading him into her office. "I should have known this as soon as you did! Abby Sciuto is my employee!"<br>"Well she's in MY team," he objected angrily, blocking the way to her office. "We're not discussing this when she's still MISSING!" He turned around and left her standing there.  
>Jenny sighed, not even trying to stop him. When someone from his team was in danger, she knew Jethro would do everything in his power to save them. She'd seen it before, when Kate was threatened. He wasn´t even sleeping, trying to figure out Ari's identity. He had been like this all his life, always sticking his head out for others.<br>But this time things were different. He was behaving how she would expect him to behave, and yet…  
>And yet there was this… look in his eyes. A look that showed more despair than anything else. Yes, that was it. He missed his usual determination, his confidence that everything would turn out alright eventually.<br>Her telephone started ringing and she walked to her desk, putting it on speaker.  
>"Hello?"<br>"Director Shepard, NCIS?"  
>"Yes?"<br>"I'm director Norward, FBI, DC. News had just arrived of a criminal gang similar to the Mafia being active in DC. Director, we need the help of NCIS to catch him." Jenny frowned. First Abby's disappearance and now this?  
>"Please," she said in a quiet but firm voice. "Continue."<p>

…..

After several hours of thinking she had a plan. But of course, her plan could only work if she knew every detail of the situation they were in. How many people were there, how often did they feed them? So when everyone woke up at sunset, they began to share information.  
>"They come here twice a day, bringing some food, but it's barely enough for all of us… There are no guards, because the door is made of solid wood. I tried to break it when I was still…" He coughed a few times. Abby supported his back as he continued. "When I was still healthy enough. But it was of no use." He turned his head a little so he could look at her. "I can sit by myself now, thank you, miss."<br>"Sure. And please: call me Abby. Or Abbs. A lot of people call me that. Except the people at the mail-office , they called me energizer Abby." She rambled on. "Because I always drink lots and lots of Caf-POW. It's my favourite drink, you know. I used to drink at least three bottles of it when I was investigating…"  
>She suddenly stopped talking. The Goth girl hadn't even dared to think about her lab, her babies: everything, but now it all hit her at once.<br>She missed her favorite drink, she missed Bert the farting hippo, she missed it all so intensely. She missed the good-work kisses on her cheek and she missed hugging everyone. Tears came to her eyes. Jasmin immediately signed at her:_ are you okay?  
>Yeah, I am,<em> she signed back. She had to stay calm, if not for her than for the children. She sat back in the middle of the group.  
>Luca, who had been sitting aside for a while now approached her.<br>"Hey, you said we were in Mexico. How do you know?"  
>"Because of the moon," Abby stated officially. "Well, I'll explain. You know the different time zones?" The boy looked at her dumbly.<br>"Well, I do, and when I looked out of the window yesterday night, right when my head felt like someone just sat on it –what I don't really know, I mean, no one has ever sat on my head…" Gibbs would have probably interrupted her by now, Abby couldn't help thinking. She pulled up one corner of her mouth and forced herself to get to the point. "They drugged me with Gamma hydroxybutyrate, which means I couldn't be unconscious for more than 2 hours, considering the way my head felt..." Victor, Danai and jasmine looked at her like she was talking some higher math, and she was, in a way. Luca just blinked a few times and pretended not to listen. She got the feeling he didn't fully trusted the girl with the black hair and idem clothes.  
>"So if this was DC, it couldn't be half past 5 because the position of the moon was way off. I would know, I studied it in college. When I saw the moon I knew it had to be Mexico." She made a gesture with her hands that implied it was all very obvious. The rest obviously disagreed.<br>"I have this great idea, but it can only work if we all work together. Listen, this is what we do:"  
>She explained everything she came up with during the night and slowly everyone started to look a little more relieved.<br>"You really think that could work?" Victor asked thoughtfully. "But miss, eh, Abby, what if something goes wrong?"  
>"We have to try something, right?"<br>"Right!" Danai said convinced and even Luca looked at her with different eyes. Loud footsteps came their way and they all shut up immediately. They all looked at Abby with an obvious question in their eyes. Now?  
>"No, not yet, we have to wait for the right time," the forensic scientist whispered back.<br>With a bang the door burst open. Abby crept backwards, wishing it wasn't Sarah. She pushed Danai protectively behind her. The door opened and someone came in.  
>Abby immediately knew it: executing her plan was going to be a lot harder than she thought.<p>

…..

Gibbs came back, marching.  
>"Got an ID yet, McGee?"<br>"Not yet boss."  
>"Dinozzo?"<br>"Nothing yet, boss."  
>"Ziva?"<br>"Sorry, Gibbs, I have not found anything."  
>"Then you all search faster!" He yelled angrily, wanting, needing something. His cell phone rang and he answered it.<br>"What? On my way." He stalked away again. They all followed him with their gaze until he disappeared in the direction of Jenny's office.  
>Suddenly Tim jumped up, a shocked expression on his face.<br>"What's wrong, probie? Scared by your screensaver?" Tony joked half-heartily. He tried to keep his cool but he couldn't control the fear they all felt. He knew they were doing all they could but still… there was nothing. No hits on the man's face, no matter how many different scans they used. More and more office workers came in as they'd worked, throwing them surprised looks. Of course, no one dared to say anything.  
>"Still standing there, McNerd?" He knew he shouldn't tease the agent like that on a moment like this, but he was afraid that, if he let Abby's disappearance get to him like it got to Gibbs, nothing could keep the team from falling apart. When his boss couldn't handle things; he could. And this case could only be solved when everyone kept thinking straight.<br>"Listen you guys!" Tim yelled with a hysteric tone in his voice. "I, no, um, _we_, sort of, well, I guess you could say the whole team… But especially Gibbs, I think…"  
>"Okay, McGee, get it out," Ziva said annoyed. Everyone around her was scared of her ninja skills –especially when something bad happened. Considering that one knife was already firmly planted in the wall behind her, their fear was justified. Tony raised an eyebrow at Ziva.<br>"No, no, it's _spit_ it out, not get it out."  
>"But I don't want him to spit, yes?"<br>"We got an email!" McGee yelled through them. "Or rather, Gibbs did. I don't want to open it, because it might contain some kind of computer virus… But it looks like it has to do with Abby."  
>"WHAT?" The other two agents said in unison. They both gathered around McGee, looking over his shoulder, who nervously asked:<br>"Shouldn't we wait for Gibbs?"  
>"Open the email," Gibbs ordered, walking towards them with the director in his footstep. They were all used at how their boss could arrive out of thin air, so the youngest agent in team Gibbs didn't hesitate and opened the email, putting it on the big screen.<p>

From: anonymous

_Hello agent Gibbs,_

_You think you can catch us. We think otherwise. But we took a precaution.  
>One with lovely black hair.<br>If you want her back, we suggest you stop all investigations to the gang named Comorro. If you don't do that, we let someone who wants to destroy you more than anything have her way with your beloved scientist.  
>And we don't want that, do we?<br>You have three days.  
>If you haven't stopped every investigation by then, you shouldn't count on seeing her again.<br>If you do, we call you at exactly 12 pm.  
>Greetings.<br>_…._  
><em>  
>"McGee!"<br>"I can't trace the email, boss, it's impossible." Frantically, Gibbs tried to think. What to do? First, he had to make sure that Abby was… that she was… He forced himself to think it. _That she was still alive.  
><em>  
><em>Oh Abby, please… Please be alive. I haven't even told you yet.<em>_  
><em>Gibbs looked out of the window and stared up at the moon. The sun was already rising but he could still see it.  
>And for a second he felt like Abby was talking back.<p>

**A/N I wanted to stop here but since you all have been as kind as to review me so much: I have something for you too! Continue!**

"Reply," he ordered McGee, who hastily followed his orders. Gibbs pulled the keyboard towards him and awkwardly started typing.

….  
>Reply to: anonymous<p>

_You bastard, if you think you can get away with this you're going to find out how wrong you really are!  
><em>was what he really wanted to type. But this was Abby's life he was bargaining about.  
><em>So instead, he typed:<em>

I need proof she's still alive.

…

He didn't know what else to say, so he just hit the send-key.  
><em>Email was send successfully <em>his computer told him. Good. Now all he could do…  
>was wait.<p>

Ping. New email from: anonymous  
>Gibbs hands shook when he clicked on the pop up message.<p>

….  
>From: anonymous<br>Give me your phone number and you'll get your proof.  
>….<p>

He couldn't type the number fast enough. The reply almost came immediately, but not in the form of an email.  
>His phone rang: unknown number.<br>"Can we trace this?" He yelled.  
>"On it, boss!" Tony and McGee clasped some wires to his cell phone while Ziva connected them to an recorder. She gave Gibbs an OK-sign, who pressed the green button and pressed his phone to his ear.<br>"Hello?"

_**A/N Well, another cliffhanger! XD  
><strong>_


	9. Chapter 9: Maps to connect

Chapter 9: Maps

**A/N  
>I'm feeling really pumped up now. Especially since I promised myself I would be doing my homework for sure…<br>I am however in a little… weird mood, considering somewhere I just read this: you're the Jane to my Lisbon. So I told my friend, and added: you're the Abby to my Gibbs. =D So my friend replied: Than you're the kett to my caskett.  
>Whahaha isn't that funny? XD<br>This one won't be long, but at least you guys get "the proof" right?**

Beta-Note  
>She probably won´t read this until after she posted it. She wrote my name wrong.. I´ve known her for 7 years or so, and she can´t even spell my name… Oh and with every chapter I get I have less mistakes to find, good job Loes-chan.. Any mistakes are mine, since I'm the beta.<p>

**A/N Yeah, well I did, too bad! Sorry readers, for getting caught up in our personal wars. :D I totally didn't misspell your name! I was just mentally… er… sleeping. That's all. v_v**

Beta: Tino-chan, who is the Valentine to my Ruben. XD  
>Spoilers: none.<br>Disclaimer: see previous chapter

_Preview  
><em>_"Can we trace this?" He yelled.  
>"On it, boss!" Tony and McGee clasped some wires to his cell phone while Ziva connected them to an recorder. She gave Gibbs an OK-sign, who pressed the green button and pressed his phone to his ear.<br>"Hello?"_

…..

Abby immediately knew it: executing her plan was going to be a lot harder than she thought. Because there wasn't just one man bringing in their breakfast. There were two; and they were armed. One of them was holding a small plate with food. The brownish black color suggested that whatever it was had been burned badly.  
>Considering the alarmed gazes she got from the others, two guards bringing in the food wasn't ordinary.<br>One of them placed the plate on the ground and immediately left, mumbling something in a foreign language. Abby recognized it as Italian, which was strange: being in Mexico and all. But aside from that, the man that had kidnapped her in front of Gibbs' house had been Italian, too, right?  
>The other guard scoffed at his departure. He walked towards Abby, hovering over her. The Goth girl gulped, shielding the two children behind her back and putting on her bravest look, eventhough on the inside she was terrified.<br>"You have two minutes," the guard said to her in broken English, handing her something. Abby hesitantly took it, staring at the black cell phone in her hand. She brought it to her ear and stammered: "Hello?"

….

"Hello?"  
>For a second, he couldn't utter a word, hearing her voice. There was no doubt that this was Abby.<br>His mind became blank. His Abby. He cleared his throat.  
>"Abs, your okay?" It hurt so much not to be able to be with her, to hold her and assure her everything would be okay...<br>"Gibbs?" She sounded surprised, unbelieving. Was it really him? Abby grasped the telephone between her hands, pressing it to her ear. "I'm… okay, I guess. Pretty scared, though. But this isn't my first kidnapping, so I'm sort of getting used to it. I guess. Like you could ever… get used to it." He heard the sadness, the fear in her voice. It made him rage inside, but he tried to keep his voice calm.  
>'Listen, I need you to answer with yes or no. Are you alone?"<br>"No. There are children and another man and-" Suddenly he couldn't hear anything anymore.  
>"Abbs? Abby!" He yelled in the phone. He was just about to go crazy, when she returned.<br>"Yes, sorry, I can't… talk about anything." She was crying. He formed his hands into fists. They were going to get it. He was going to hunt down every single one of those bastards and he would make them regret the day they were born…  
>"Please don't worry," Abby continued. She sounded a little strange, like she was trying not to tell him something. "I'm fine, We just got breakfast, too. <em>An hour earlier<em> than I would get it if I would be staying with you. Great, huh?" An hour earlier? He didn't get that.  
>"What do you mean, Abbs?" Staying with him? What was she talking about? Quickly, he grabbed a paper and a piece of paper and wrote it down.<br>"Something. Please don't worry too much. I'll be fine, please don't do whatever they're telling you to do, they're very mean sombrero people –Ouch!" He heard her scream on the other side of the line and panicked.  
>"Abby? Abby?" A different voice answered him.<br>"You do exactly as we tell and we will stop hurting her now. Otherwise you will probably not recognize her after we're done with her."  
>Gibbs closed his eyes. He couldn't do anything to stop them from hurting Abby. No matter what he did, right now, she was in danger. And it was his fault. His. He couldn't even protect the girl that he…<br>that he loved. Abby screamed again. His name.  
>"Alright. Please, stop! I'll stop all investigations. You win, just… just STOP hurting her!" He almost burst into tears, something he never experienced before in almost his entire life. The screams stopped. Before the man hung up, he could vaguely hear her in the background, yelling: "No, Gibbs, DON'T!"<br>But he made his decision. Nothing was as important as to get her safe. Whatever the case or whoever those criminals may be: catching them or doing justice just wasn't as important as getting her back. That realization struck him hard.  
>Gibbs noticed he was still standing like a statue, his phone still against his ear.<br>His team looked at him, almost confused.  
>"I, uh, couldn't finish tracing, boss. But I narrowed the place to this area," McGee said, pointing at a circle on a map.<p>

Gibbs narrowed his eyes. He looked at the map and thought about what Abby had said. At least she wasn't… At least she was still alive.  
>His eye fell on the piece of paper. Breakfast… An hour earlier…<br>The pieces fell into place.  
>Different time zones.<br>A difference with one hour.  
>Sombrero.<p>

Mexico.

**A/N I know, I know, a short chapter this time. But I didn't really have time, so… sorry. **


	10. Chapter 10: Don't mess with team Gibbs

Chapter 10: Don't mess with Team Gibbs.

**A/N It's 23.33 but I just got a great idea. I realized I said much about Tony, Ziva and McGee yet, so I decided to show their side of the story. I particularly like this scene because while writing it I suddenly found that I actually **_**do**_** know English. **

**The sleeping lullaby I mention; It's a poor translation of very very famous Dutch lullaby. If you're Dutch, please don't laugh at me. -blushes- Tino, don't "Fail" me. Please.  
><strong>  
>No Beta today, so there will be a few … weird mistakes.<br>Spoilers: none.  
>Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS. Just a laptop and an obsession. ^^<br>_  
>Preview<em>  
><em>Different time zones.<br>A difference with one hour.  
>Sombrero.<em>

Mexico.

…..

Finally, it was dark. There had been a few times when they were almost caught, during the day.  
>Luca had been trying to look out of the window while balancing on Abby's shoulders. He warmed up to her, she could almost feel it. In a way, it gave her hope. And maybe, maybe there was a chance they could all escape before the sun would rise. Her arms were still aching on the places the man had hit her. Dark bruises were everywhere; she never got this many before. The forensic scientist thought about that morning, when she had heard Gibbs voice. Had he gotten the message? If he had, all the pain had been for a good cause. But maybe… maybe he hadn't. <em>No, no, Abby Sciuto, you are nót thinking about that<em>, she told herself firmly, blinking away the upcoming tears. His voice had been so soothing… She finally felt a little… okay again. But then that mean guard had ordered her not to tell him anything… But she just had to! God knew she had to! Of course, he let her pay for it, she thought sourly, rubbing softly over her arms.  
>Pale light shone in through the dirty glass of the window. Moonlight. Time for her plan to be executed. During the day Luca had been looking out of the window, observing. They were in a brownish house, on the side of it. More, similar houses were standing across a small alley. The eight-year-old told them how many people kept walking by. Mostly, it was tanned people wearing large sunhats selling stuff. Sometimes, tourists, taking pictures. The children immediately wanted to knock on the window, creating some noise to attract their attention, but Abby stopped them. What good could they do? Yes, they could call the police, but the kidnappers would probably hear them first and place them in a room with no window. Aside from the tourist, the sellers and a few locals, they didn't see any of the broad-shouldered, armed guards or the expensively dressed Italian man with the golden crowns in his teeth.<br>That was good. It meant the kidnappers didn't have a look-out on the side of the house. It could mean they underestimated them. But Abby didn't trust anything unless she saw the evidence for herself so they waited until twilight set in. One guard had come in three times, two times for food, one time for a "pee break", as the children called it. Horrified, Abby stared at the iron bucket. Her senses screamed not to touch the non-hygienic thing, but what else was she supposed to do?  
>After the guard left she had to admit she felt more relieved, in a way. The black-haired girl had noticed that the guard was almost constantly guarding the door. It was the same guard every time and considering the noises she sometimes heard coming from outside of the door; he sat on a chair there or something. Aside from it making her nervous, it also had to mean that he had to sleep sometimes. Maybe someone took over when the sun set? They had all listened very carefully when it slowly got dark, but they didn't hear anything but the soft breathing of the guard. No one took over his shift.<br>Her plan had all chance of succeeding.  
>They had all discussed it into detail, so that everything would go as smooth as possible. Everyone took their positions. Danai and Luca were sitting next to the door.<br>Victor was standing up, wobbly but up. Jasmin was balancing on his shoulders, one of the dirty blankets in her hands that no one used because of the fungus growing on it. She made sure the filthy spot wasn't touching her body when she pressed it against the window, blocking out the light.  
>That was the sign for Danai, who softly started to sing a lullaby.<br>_Sleep, little child, sleep  
>Outside walks a sheep<br>A sheep with little white feet  
>He drinks his milk, so sweet<em>  
>they could hear the guard yawn. It was working! Abby had explained how the human sub-conscience was very sensitive to a singing voice. When someone was already feeling tired, a sleeping lullaby, even I it was barely hearable, would make that person fall asleep sooner. They had all been skeptical but to see that it was actually working…! They let a few minutes pass because it was all in the timing. Jasmin sighed to Abby that the coast was clear. <em>What to do now?<br>Wait… _Abby signed back._ Just a bit… Right. I need you to follow my instructions, like we discussed. Are you ready?_ The 12-year-old nodded positively and pressed with all of her body strength against the blanket that was covering the window glass, on the place that Abby indicated. With a crash, the window broke. Large shards fell outside, but none of it came in, because of the blanket. All of the hostages froze, praying that the guard hadn't wakened. Expecting the worst. Now someone would start yelling and people would come rushing in… But none of it happened.  
>After a few seconds, they concluded they were safe for now. Jasmin kicked the remaining pieces that were still stuck in the frame away and folded the blanket around the underside of the window, so no glass was sticking out. Outside, all was quiet. The alley was deserted. In a swift move, Jasmin climbed out, carefully making sure she didn't touch the frame to be sure. Then came Luca, swiftly climbing up to Victor's shoulders. He disappeared through the window. Next was Danai, who didn't want to let go of Abby at first. She didn't want let go of her sleeve, so the forensic scientist told her that she would go first so that she could catch the six-year-old girl. It wasn't really easy, because she was a lot bigger than the children were, but she managed to creep through the window. Danai was the smallest of them all, and with a little help from Victor, she got out as well.<br>Last was Victor, who had no one to help him. But he was really tall. He wrung himself through the window, dragging the blanket with him in the progress. He made a hard fall, but in the end he also got out of that room. Abby couldn't conceal her happiness, even though they were still miles away from safety. They did it. They escaped!  
>Swiftly, she let the wounded man support on her when she disappeared in the shadows, trying to find a place where they could be safe. The forensic scientist had a whole list of things she should do now running through her mind.<br>_Make sure no one sees us, get away from here as soon as possible, find a phone, call 911, make sure the children are safe._  
>But one thought dominated all the other.<br>_I have to get to Gibbs._

…..

6 am.  
>Gibbs had left about an hour ago. They had gotten another call from Abby's kidnappers. But this time it was a different man than the one the silver haired special agent spoke to last time. He claimed that he wanted to clean his hands of every kidnapping business and insisted on meeting Gibbs. He wanted to share information about the hostages if NCIS payed him for it: he demanded the price of five thousand dollars. Their boss hadn't waste much time on verifying anything; he just made a few calls and arranged to meet the guy in a bar not far from the HQ. His team had already gotten used to him being like that when it was about Abby. But now they were left behind: stuck with the task of finding everything that they could. Except that there wasn't a lot that could be found. That left them with a new case that had come up, but none of them was very motivated.<p>

"You know it's too early when there's no one even here to make coffee," Dinozzo wined while burying his face in his hands. Ziva looked up eagerly.  
>"Does that mean you made some?"<br>"NO, Ziva. It does NOT," Tony said in a muffled voice, peeking through his fingers. "Though Nanny McPheeble could-"  
>"You can just make your own coffee, Tony." McGee angrily turned his back to the two other agents. "It looks like I'm the only one working here, as usual, and this time…" He took a gulp of air. "This time it's not supposed to be as usual! It's Abby that's missing!" Tony froze half-way making a weird face and Ziva fell silent. They both looked guilty.<br>"Yeah," Tony said, breaking the silence. "We know." He sighed, smiling sadly. "But what good is it to cry about it? Gibbs is out there to arrange the deal; we can't do anything to help him. Let alone work on some stupid," He flipped open a case file. "dead marine case." Ziva still hadn't said anything. She had occasionally thrown looks at the clock on the wall and watched time pass, but now she couldn't stand it anymore. Her knife bore itself into her desk when she suddenly jumped up.  
>"No. This is making me mad. I have to at least do <em>something<em>!" She rushed around her desk, grapping the knife with her as she passed, with a stubborn look on her face. She planted both of her hands on Tony's desk and leaned forwards so that her face was only inches away from Tony's. He tried to back away, startled, but her intense glare stopped him.  
>"Why are you sitting here, doing NOTHING?" Anger mixed with sadness was displaced on her face when she continued. "This is not what the Tony that I know would do. The Tony that I know," she sighed, "would give his everything to save a friend." Dinozzo saw misunderstanding and pain reflected in her eyes and knew what it meant. It meant he had to do something. Meanwhile, McGee had gotten up, too, and was conspiringly listening in on their conversation.<br>"Ziva is right, Tony. I can't just stay here and do nothing either, no matter what Gibbs says. And now that he's not here, you're in charge."  
>He quickly checked if their boss wasn't standing behind them, just in case. Now was not a good time to be head-slapped. But Gibbs still was gone, like he would be for a few hours.<br>"We're all in this together," he lamely stated.  
>"I say we go after him. Right Mcgee?" Ziva immediately added. Tony, who felt like he hadn't said anything for an abnormally long time, scraped his throat in dismay.<br>"Listen guys, I knów how you're feeling, but don't go all high school musical on me! There's no way we could just go after the boss without his permission and try to help with the operation, while he strict ordered to stay here! Look: just because we can't go after him doesn't mean we can't do anything useful here!  
>I mean," he explained hesitantly to their raised eyebrows. "We could even jeopardize the entire deal by interfering and… and…"<br>Exactly 5 minutes later they were in Tony's car, speeding over the highway. Dinozzo had taken precautions and made sure he was the one driving. He was just hoping that they would be there on time.

**(****A/N No Gibbs action this time. I thought it was time for his team to get a little space. :)  
>I will be away for a few days; I'm taking a (very well deserved) small trip to Paris. –Broad smile- So I probably won't update until next week.<br>**


	11. Chapter 11: Lost and found

Chapter 11 Lost and found

**A/N While writing this, I listened to the song "Lost and found" from Only Seven Left. They're a Dutch piano-rock band, and they're awesome. I recommend listening to the song, so you can judge for yourself.  
>Btw, does anyone know how I can create a dividing line between the different paragraphs? Now I use a few dots, but sometimes even they disappear. Ugh.<strong>

**Dear readers,**

**Thank you for the reviews, as always!  
>I wanted to post this chapter way earlier. Truth is, I´m sad because I failed an exam, my dad acts like he suddenly lost his mind and my study group is very mean to me. Oh, plus I just fell down the stairs and hurt my ankle. :'( And I feel guilty because I haven't posted a chapter for such a long time. My fingers just start writing and I keep finding myself writing something different than I planned. I'm so sorry, but my life is a little messy right now.<br>I think it's time to drown myself in a cup of tea, but before that I give you the chapter! (As usual, please remember I'm not English).**

**Special thanks to TerraRini, who corrected a few mistakes for me (I was like: send? Sent? Oh wait, there is a difference!)  
>And No, you don´t have to wait any longer, I´m so happy that you like it! :D<strong>  
>Beta: Tino-chan<br>Spoilers: none  
>Warning: rated T for mild cussing<br>Disclaimer: I don't own blah blah blah

_Preview:  
>Exactly 5 minutes later they were in Tony's car, speeding over the highway. Dinozzo had taken precautions and made sure he was the one driving. He was just hoping that they would be there on time.<em>

"Are we there yet?" Tony asked nervously. Ziva, who was sitting in the back, scoffed. The temperature was very high, so not many people were out on the streets. If they were, they were wearing sun hats and eating ice cream. Tony licked his lips at the thought of a delicious, cold ice coupe… But then again, even a pizza would be fine. As long as it was food, he would eat it all. He noticed that McGee, who was sitting next to him in the front seat, hadn't answered his question. The agent was staring at the bright screen of his palmtop. More insisting, he repeated his question. McGee looked up from his computer-thingy, as Dinozzo liked to call it –probably because he couldn't pronounce the name.  
>"No Tony. We still have ten minutes to go, just like I told you one minute ago!" McGee answered, clearly annoyed. Tony's face lit up.<br>"HA! If you said that a minute ago, it can't be ten minutes anymore." He gave him a triumphant look.  
>"Do you <em>always<em> need something to complain about?"  
>"Depends who it is, McYouWereWrong." The junior agent rolled his eyes and wanted to comment on that, when Ziva interrupted them.<br>"Wait, that is Gibbs' car, yes?" She pointed a black SUV that was parked on a parking lot just across the street.  
>"uh, yes, but… he's not supposed to be here…" Confused, McGee checked his palmtop. "We still have a few blocks to go…"<br>"Or you're just wrong again," Tony mumbled just loud enough so McGee could hear probie wisely ignored it.

The parking lot was deserted –it was almost totally empty except for the SUV. It gave them the chills, but what really made them worry was Gibbs not being anywhere in sight. The car was locked and they discovered that it was empty. Dinozzo spun around, but all he saw where a few cars that slowly passed by and concrete burning in the sun, heat waves coming from it. Now they were out of the car and no longer had an air conditioner to cool them down, the heat hit them with full power. McGee's face was bright red and even Ziva, who grew up in a country with very high temperatures, was slightly wobbling. Tony was sweating like a pig. He unbuttoned his jacket and wiped the sweat from his forehead.  
>"Maybe I should-" He wanted to say "call him", but immediately stopped talking when he heard two loud <em>bangs<em>. Ziva was already running when he finally managed to come out of his frozen state.

Xxx

There was a little blonde girl, sitting on a bed. It was really hot outside so she just rocked back and forth on top of the blankets. The girl was singing a country song, smiling. Next to the bed sat a big man with broad shoulders. He pretended not to take any notion of the little girl, but despite himself he found himself listening to her. He was sick of guarding a little girl like there was any chance she would escape. They were waiting in a hotel room for the parents of the kid to show up and hand over the ransom. He didn't think they had the money so they took every possible precaution and had kept the location of the girl a secret until they verified that the cash was real.  
>Now, he just waited for a sign so he could release her and be done with it. The guard knew that many kidnappers just killed their hostages as soon as they got the money, but his gang wasn't like that. If they made a deal, they would keep it. What honor would be left to them if they didn't?<br>The girl suddenly stopped singing and offered him her hand.  
>"My name is Jadelyn," she stated officially, waiting for him to shake her hand. He didn't.<br>Nothing good could come when you got involved with hostages. The girl dropped her arm. "What is your name, mister?"  
>"Bob," he lied, just to be done with the questions. "And now I think you should stop talking." He always felt like he was a dominant man: people always got scared when he raised his voice. But this girl? No. She simply started to sing again, without taking any offence; she didn't even blink.<p>

But what she knew and he didn't, was that there was a ventilation shaft right next to bed. She used to play with it with her best friend by whispering messages. What her kidnappers didn't know was that her mother used to work as a cleaning lady in this particular hotel, before she married her "new" dad. She missed the hotel life a lot. She could play everywhere, sometimes guests would give her sweets and her best friend was here… She hated leaving it all behind.  
>Jadelyn was only six but she knew her mother was happier now. Her voice faltered for a moment, thinking of her mother's warm, wide smile. How she would react when she would see her again. She closed her eyes, thinking of her mother, but also of her sister. She wanted her mother. She wanted Danai. She wanted-<br>"Are you okay?" The man sitting next to the bed asked with worry showing in his voice. She opened her eyes again. If she would keep singing the song, maybe he would hear her. The boy she used to play with… Maybe he had heard of her being kidnapped. Maybe he could tell her mother that she was here.  
>All those maybe's made her even more scared.<br>So she kept singing the country song and thought of nothing else.

Until a few knocks were heard. The guard flew up and hesitantly walked to the door.  
>"Who's there?" No answer. He raised his voice. "Who's there?"<br>"It's me, you " A rough voice yelled. Hastily, the guard opened the door. Startled, the girl crept back so her back was resting against the yellow wallpaper. She knew this man. He was the one that had been driving the dirty truck that brought her here. It was a tall, tanned man with a short, black beard and dangerous eyes. He pointed an accusing finger at her, what made her cringe even more.  
>"You idiot! I told you to keep the child SILENT! You could hear her singing in half of the building! If you can't keep her under control, there's only one thing we can do." Slowly, he moved his hand to the black gun that was strapped to his waist. Jadelyn made a soft sound, looking around wildly. There was no escape. She made herself as small as possible, waiting for the last sound she would ever hear.<br>"HALT! FEDERAL AGENTS! DROP YOUR WEAPON! NOW!" Her eyes flew open to reveal a couple of men, dressed in black with the letters FBI printed on their backs. They all were holding guns and pointing them at the tanned man with the beard and her guard, who slowly were raising their hands. The gun fell to the floor with a soft thud. By the shock, it went off with a loud bang. The girl jumped, and one of the FBI agents immediately responded by shooting back. Slowly, the man with the beard fell backwards. Jadelyn could only watch with wild eyes, in shock. A man with grey hair blocked the view of the shot man by kneeling beside her. A lot of wrinkles appeared when he gave her a soothing smile.  
>"Hey sweetie, you alright? My name is agent Fornell," the man added when she didn't react. "Listen well. Your mother is waiting outside. I'll bring you to her, okay?" He patted her head when she nodded and scooped her up in one movement. She didn't fully realize it yet, but when she felt the soft, warm hands holding her, she finally started to sob.<br>"I want my mommy!" she cried, clasping the agent's suit between her small fists. Agent Fornell smiled the way he always did when they managed to save the victim and carried the little girl outside, where her mother was waiting with tears running down her face. As Fornell watched the reunion, he was still lost in thoughts. They had captured the men that were involved with the kidnapping, but he was afraid they hadn't gotten to the top boss yet.

The worst part had yet to begin.

Xxx

The gunshots had come from a small house, only a few yards away. Out of nowhere, a group of FBI agents appeared and stormed inside, leaving the three agents of team Gibbs speechless.

They watched many agents go in and go out again and soon they saw Fornell, carrying a little girl and handing her over to a crying married couple, and a too familiar grey-haired when was running towards him.  
>"You got him, Fornell? Did your men HAVE to kill the only source of information I happened to find?" Gibb's voice was soft but nonetheless very threatening. Fornell raised his hands in a helpless gesture.<br>"Not our fault, Gibbs, the guy did what he had to. I would've done the same if a bullet was flying past my freakin' ear." Gibbs just breathed out very deep. He closed his eyes for a second, opened them again.  
>"Right. At least we have the other guy." He gave Fornell an almost-unnoticed shoulder pat and turned away. That's when his eye fell on his team. His eyes narrowed. With big steps he marched towards them. Ziva, who was a few meters closer to him then Tony and Tim, backed away quickly, taking shelter behind Dinozzo –not a coincidence.<br>"What is this?" Gibbs yelled before he even reached them yet. Silence. "Do I need to repeat myself?"  
>"No, boss," Dinozzo said at the same time as McGee said: "I'm sorry boss." The grey haired agent raised one eyebrow expectantly.<br>"So?"  
>McGee mumbled something incomprehensible.<br>"We thought you… went to meet the… informant… without back-up, boss," the senior agent said in his place, smiling apologetically. His smile left as soon as it had come when Gibbs glared at him.  
>"Why the hell," he said calmly with the accent on 'why'. "Would I do something as stupid as that?" They all looked at each other, searching for some comfort and the answer: who the hell came up with this stupid idea?<br>"We didn't know Fornell was with you, Gibbs," Ziva said quickly. "We just wanted to offer you our help."  
>"What do you want me to say? That I'm <em>touched?<em> Well, wake up! You're my team and I want you to OBEY me!" The three agents looked at him in fright. McGee was biting his lip almost to the point of drawing blood, Tony was dead-serious for once, standing slightly before Ziva, as to protect her from their boss' anger.  
>"Listen," Gibbs continued. "I don't care how you all worry about me like I'm your sugar daddy and you need to protect me! If I say you STAY at HQ you STAY at HQ. Am I clear?" They didn't know how fast they should nod. "Good."<br>He stormed away, back to the place where a FBI agent just forced a cuffed man to step into a police car.  
>"Well," Tony said, trying to sound cheerful. "That went well." The younger agent raised one eyebrow and Ziva kicked against his leg. "Ouch! What'd you do that for?"<p>

Gibbs clenched his teeth when he walked to meet the captive. There was a reason he didn´t want to involve them.  
>Now that Abby was involved, he felt like he was hanging by a thread. And the longer they couldn't find her, the more dangerous it became. The danger of her not coming back anymore. As the hours passed, the thread was slowly unraveling…<br>And when it fully did, he wanted to make sure he was the only one falling.

**A/N Yup this was different! I know, no Abby today. Next chapter, she´ll be back, I promise. Let me know what you think! BTW I'll have a surprise for you all next chapter!**


	12. Chapter 12: Deceiving events

Chapter 12: Deceiving events

**A-N Dear readers,**

**First, I want to apologize for the lack of any 'Gabby action' last chapter. And for the fact that I haven´t been regularly updating anything for a while now.**

**I know and I´m sorry but school has been hell on me. I've already broken Gibbs rule nr. 6 twice this chapter so I'll shut up now.  
>Really. I know the chapter's a little short…<br>But I hope everyone is still keeping up with me! If so, thank you very much!**

Beta: Tino-chan.  
>This is a surprise for her but I just wanted to thank her for being my Beta, and always making time for me, when I'm sad or just overly happy (most of the time). She supplies me with a healthy dose ofCastle and the Mentalist, and of course NCIS. She keeps up with ALL of my silly and stupid ramblings. But she thinks Gabby is stupid and she likes Patrick Dempsey more than Simon Baker (gasps). And she doesn't get my mistakes and always laughs to the point of crying when I say something incredibly stupid (also most of the time) and her dogs hate me, but I still love her very much! Thanks, Tino!<p>

Disclaimer: No.

_Preview  
>Now that Abby was involved, he felt like he was hanging by a thread. And the longer they couldn't find her, the more dangerous it became. The danger of her not coming back anymore. As the hours passed, the thread was slowly unraveling…<br>And when it fully did, he wanted to make sure he was the only one falling._

(…)

The moon was shining bright so they kept running in the dark shadows. They ran. They tripped. They stumbled.  
>But they kept moving.<br>The night had taken away all of the blazing heath that'd been haunting them during the day so they were all shivering now. Especially the little children. Danai kept falling so Abby had picked her up and carried her on her back. Sometimes one of the braids of the girl would sweep in her face and Abby would be reminded that she should stay strong for the children. But being strong wasn´t easy when it was the darkest hour of the night and your feet were killing you. So she just put her thought on non-active and put one foot in front of the other. She wasn't sure where to go. If this really was Mexico, and she was pretty sure, she wouldn't find anyone she knew anywhere.

So they just kept running like their life depended on it. Even though Danai got heavier with every step and Victor kept stumbling. The man really needed a hospital but she didn't know where to find one. There were a lot of dusty cars on sides of small alleys, the front window covered with carton, but Abby couldn't bear to steal one. Everything was so different than she was used to. The small houses, the colors, barely visible because of the darkness, the walls covered with graffiti.  
>But especially the lack of safety. With Gibbs there, she never thought about feeling safe. Everyone would feel safe with a man that was confident enough to not even lock his door.<br>Abby finally stopped running. She leaned against the wall of a building, breathing heavily. She wasn´t wearing any shoes –the kidnappers had taken them when she was unconscious. Now that she wasn't running anymore, the pain in her feet became even worse. But a few cuts were superficial compared to the situation she was in. She ignored her throbbing feet and threw an exhausted look at the others, to check if they were okay.

"Where are we going?" Luca whined, his feet leaving a trail in the dusty sand. "I'm tired. I wanna stop!" He resolutely stopped moving and sat down in the middle of the road. "I wanna sleep and I want my silky blankets and a hamburger." In a little voice, he added: "and my mommy."  
>Abby breathed out soundlessly. She hated the men that did this to her and those poor children. Oh, how Gibbs would make them pay. That thought even cheered her up a little. Her positive mood set in<br>and she started to walk again, gesturing to Victor that he should help Luca to get up. Jasmin was very silent. She hadn't signed anything since the big escape and wouldn't respond to the forensic scientist asking if she was okay. Now and then, Abby would pat the little girl softly on her auburn hair, smiling soothingly. She hoped that eased the fear a little.  
>Still, she had to find a place where they could take a shelter for the night, because none of them would be able to keep going for much longer.<p>

After a few moments, she noticed the street was getting wider and to their utter relief, they saw the flickering lights of a motel. The pink light felt like it was the best thing Abby saw in a very long time. She took Victor's arm and Luca's hand while Jasmin was right behind them. The motel didn't have any bell or anything like that, so they just knocked. And prayed.  
>It took a while, but they could hear someone inside responding. A few muffled sounds, and then the sound they all wanted to hear so very badly: the unlocking of the door.<br>The door opened in a crack and a face appeared in the small opening. It was a man with a dark beard and sleepy eyes. They brightened with sudden force when he noticed them standing on his doorstep. The man just froze, staring at them.

"Um, can we stay here for the night?" Abby tried. She didn't speak Spanish. How she wished that Ziva was with them. She would fight them all off and she spoke almost every language in the world.  
>She wrung her hands together nervously and gave him a smile that said: please let us in! The man didn't respond so she did what she always did in a situation that made her this nervous: she started rambling.<br>"Look, it's cold and well, we just want a place where we can stay for only one night, you know. Because the kids are really, really tired –have you seen their feet? Well, we promise not to be a nuisance, we just want to sleep!" The man mumbled something incomprehensible but motioned to them to come in.

A streetdog barked a few times when they followed him inside. They went through a small corridor and into a living room, where a woman was laying on a couch. She awoke with a startled sound. She and the man -that'd opened the door for them and who apparently was her husband- started a loud conversation in Spanish. Luca just slumped against a wall and Victor barely managed to hold him up. The woman noticed and to their surprise, she started talking English.  
>With a heavy accent, she told them:<br>"Sorry for the… fight we had. You can sleep here. On…" She looked at her husband, who pointed upstairs. "Desván. Uh," she was searching for the word, when her face brightened. "attic. I show you." She led them up on a small stairs, into a small room. There were no beds or whatsoever, but they were content with a safe place where they could rest without being afraid of being kidnapped again.  
>And besides, they were used to sleeping on the floor.<p>

Abby finally let Danai slide to the floor and made sure the girl was laying comfortable on a grey blanket that the woman gave them. She wanted desperately for someone to talk to, someone she could tell everything into detail, before she would pass out.  
>But there was no one there.<p>

She tried asking the woman for a phone, but all she did was shake her head in denial. Maybe they could find a phone tomorrow. And then the team would come immediately. Maybe she would be home again tomorrow. Maybe… and with that thought, she slowly fell asleep with a smile on her face.

(…)

Gibbs was almost there. With every minute he got a little closer. It still didn't go fast enough. What would he do when he would never find her again?  
>Would it feel like that time, so long ago?<br>He still heard her talk in his dreams, sometimes. His wife, smiling, telling them to be careful as he and his daughter would go horse riding.  
>It hurts. It hurts so much.<br>Sometimes the pain would just overtake him and he would be work on his boat and go the work but not feeling everything anymore. It'd taken so long before he found that there was something to live for again. Fornell, Jenny, Hollis –even Dinozzo; they had all tried to find the real Leroy Jethro Gibbs. They didn't understand. But Abby… Abby understood. She saw the deepest into him, deeper even than Ducky. She knew the reason he was like this. She was his girl, his funny, silly Goth girl who was too noble for her own good sometimes. She was the one he lived for now.  
>She accepted all of him, even with all of his past that still lived on within him.<p>

Now he was on his way to the place he was hoping he'd find her.  
>And this time, he would never let her leave his sight again.<br>he just prayed he would be on time.

Finally, he saw the sign he was waiting for.  
><em><br>"Welcome in Mexico"_

(….)

When they woke up, Abby felt… hinky again. Her head hurt like the first day… How strange. She remembered going to the motel… Being really sleepy… Slowly, she opened her eyes.  
>and gasped. Panic started to build up in her chest and she screamed.<p>

No. This couldn't be true.  
>She couldn't be here.<br>But it was true.  
>They were back in the small room where they escaped from that very night.<br>They were back.

**A/N  
>Wooh, cliffhanger!<br>You all probably hate me now. Sorry! (see, that's three times!)  
>NO, I haven't got a clue if there's really a sign saying welcome in Mexico and I don't speak Spanish. So please give me a break. And I was also too lazy to look up how far Mexico is from DC –If you know, don't hesitate to share.<br>I'll update another chapter as soon as I can and maybe, just maybe Abby and Gibbs will reunite… or maybe not. You'll have to keep reading! XD  
>YES, I haven't forgotten my promise: deviantart <strong>** art/Abby-281443521  
>It's not really good or anything. Just wanted to attribute something extra to the story. To make up for the small writers block I've been suffering.<strong>


	13. Chapter 13: Heat rises

Chapter 13: Heat rises

**A-N Dear readers,  
>YUP I updated another chapter! Finally! I bet everyone´s thinking: that took you long enough!<strong>

**Smush98, You are right, Franks used to live in Mexico, but he's dead now and I don't think Abby even found out where he lived anyway. (That aside, I haven't seen all of the episodes yet, so if I'm missing something: please tell me!)  
><strong>Spoilers: None  
>Beta: Tino-chan.<br>Disclaimer: Hahahaha. Yeah. no.

_Preview  
>No. This couldn't be true.<br>She couldn't be here.  
>But it was true.<br>They were back in the small room where they escaped from that very night.  
>They were back.<em>

Xxxx

Gibbs felt all of the memories of his short stay in Mexico returning. He really used to believe he would stay there for the rest of his miserable life. But he returned to DC. Maybe he would return here again, some day. But now that Franks was gone he wasn't sure if he wanted to. He didn't see the benefit of spending the rest of his days alone anymore. Not without a certain girl being around him. He tried to picture her in his house in Mexico, cooking a meal on the stove. She would be wearing an apron and have her hair tied up, smiling broadly.  
><em>"Gibbs, what do you think?" Abby twirled around in a black skirt. Her eyes sparkled when she offered him a wooden spoon. "I wasn't sure if I should add the garlic, but you like that, right?"<br>_He was sure she would be great friends with the woman that had always helped Franks out, Gabriella. He smiled despite himself.

They got out of the plane, running through the airport. The sun just set but the heat was already blazing. Tony made some smart ass remarks about him melting but he wisely shut his mouth just when Gibbs was about to head-slap him. McGee was very silent, and so was Ziva. She nervously kept her hand on the weapon on her hip. Their boss figured they were all worried about Abby in their own way. There was a car waiting for them, just outside the airport and they got in fast, enjoying the cool air from the air conditioning. They drove in silence, dust flying everywhere behind the rear wheels. Gibbs knew like no other how corrupt the police could be in Mexico, but he'd come to know some trustworthy men during his time here. There was a small office half an hour away from the airport, and that's where they were heading now. When they spotted the building, they almost drove past it because it blended in so well with the rest of the houses. There wasn't even a sign saying Police. So the team hesitantly stopped on Gibbs' sign, pulling the car over. The silver haired special agent parked in the roadside and flung the car door open. However, before getting out, he turned around and faced his team.  
>"Ziva and McGee, you are with me. Dinozzo, you go get statements from the people around here. Be back in an hour."<br>"Me? But boss, for what purpose-"  
>"This is Mexico, Dinozzo," Gibbs sighed, annoyed. "Everyone knows everything what happens around here, even though they may tell you they don't."<br>"But boss, don't you think that's… McGee should-" Tony sputtered horrified about the idea of going out in the heat and talking to people who probably didn't feel like cooperating.  
>"Then, shall I make McGee special agent?" Gibbs snapped.<br>"No, but-"  
>"Dinozzo?"<br>"Yes, boss?"  
>"What the hell are you waiting for?"<br>Tony fled out off the car.

Xxxx

Abby didn't think she was crazy. She still had her faith in the sovereign forensic powers and that alone should prevent her from going crazy. But she'd never been crazy before, so how could she know for sure? And when she was watching the rest slowly waking up, looking as horrified and sickened as she did, she really doubted that theory. The kind people who'd let them stay with them had betrayed them. They probably called the kidnappers right away, who didn't have to do much to transport them right back into the room they just escaped from. She clenched her hands into fists, outraged. At the two Mexicans, but mostly at herself. How could she be so blind, SO stupid?

She heard a soft noise and lifted her head. Danai had woken up completely. She glanced around and started crying like crazy. She ignored Abby, who quickly scooted closer, offering to wrap her arms around her. Instead, the little girl simply hid in her little corner, clasping her hands before her face. Hesitantly, the forensic scientist reached out to her, only to stop her hand midway. She didn't know what to tell the little girl. That it would be okay? That if they escaped once, they could escape twice? Abby looked up and saw the new, dark bars before the window. Why telling her lies?  
>Now Luca and Victor woke up too, reacting completely dazed.<br>"No!" Luca screamed. "This is impossible!"  
>Victor didn't make a sound; he just stared in her eyes, reflecting the same things she felt. Words weren't necessary to express their despair.<br>She knew that weeks back, her optimism was unbeatable. Now, not so much. For all she knew, it was likely they were never gonna leave this room ever again. The disability to do anything made her go crazy.

But there was that little voice that had always cheered her up again and always made her continue trying, so she wouldn't give up. The voice was telling her now that sometimes you had to face a setback before things would turn around. It gave her a small sparkle of hope. Strangely, it looked a lot like Gibbs' voice. Oh, how she longed to just hug someone with all of her strength almost suffocating them in her delight. She wanted Gibbs to put his broad arms around her and telling her it would all be fine and that he would take care of it. And she would answer that she loved him.  
>And after that she wanted to put on fresh nail polish and wear her black pumps again, combined with her white lab coat. And she would tell her babies that they did a good job as they gave her the match she needed so Gibbs would give her a Caf-POW –Oh, how she needed a Caf-POW– and a kiss her on her cheek. The longing became unbearable and the girl put his arms onto her abdomen. She honestly didn't know<p>

BAM.

The door slammed open. The rusty iron bumped against the wall, causing a very loud sound to resonate through the small room, waking everyone up completely, except Jasmin. Danai didn't hesitate to conceal herself behind Abby's back. The forensic scientist felt the little girl shake and glared up at the dark-haired woman who slowly came walking in. She nodded at the guard who'd opened the door for her. He left with a simple bow of his head, causing Abby to slightly relax. She could handle the arrogant woman just fine by herself.  
>"Sarah," she hissed, pulling her legs under her. "You let us out or I swear Gibbs is gonna kill you." She didn't really come up with something better. The woman was not impressed.<br>"Right… Thought you would escape this easily, huh? Please." Sara rolled her eyes. "But I'll be frank: I'm pretty sick of you and your sneaky plans." Her eyes gleamed dangerously. "It's time to make sure that your beloved boss really knows what he's doing." She turned around and beckoned someone that Abby could not see, to come in. A man with a tanned skin appeared from behind her. He had a cloth around his head, covering everything above his eyes. Abby's eyes fell on his hands and what he was holding. She gasped. And then she started to scream.

Xxxx

Tony walked to the next house on the damn road which just kept going and going. The sand was so dry that it flew up with every step he took and it started to form a thin layer on his clothes and skin. The senior agent was not happy with how things were going. First of all, HE should be the one talking to the police and doing the exciting fieldwork; not going by for information no one was going to give anyway. The only people that had even bothered to open the door were a drunken neighbor and an old lady that smacked him with her purse. This was all so like that movie, _On the run_. Hell, he could name thousands of movies with people walking through deserts. Hell, this whole country looked like desert. Sulking, Dinozzo rubbed with his hand over his sour shoulder. That old hag sure had a lot of strength in her arms. What had he done to deserve this? If someone had told him a few days ago that he would be in Mexico searching for Abby's kidnappers, he wouldn't have believed them. The thought of DC made him sulk even more. He walked up a porch and knocked on the wooden door.  
>"Federal state agents! Anyone home?" He yelled. No reaction. "Hello?" he tried again, knowing that no one was waiting for the police to drop by, let alone federal agents. Great. Luckily, there weren't many houses around; only a couple more to go. He started walking again, pulling his cap a little further over his head. He couldn't help thinking of longing for cold things: air-conditioning, ice cream, snow, and beaches with cold water with a lot of girls, desperate in need of someone to help them put on sun block on their backs. Of course, he knew why he was doing this, why they were in Mexico. But it was so hard to think with the heat all around him. And just a few days ago everyone was fine...<br>_  
>They were sitting at their desks, doing something no one enjoyed: paperwork. Gibbs had threatened them to finish it before seven or they would really suffer, so they were all working like their life depended on it. They weren't allowed to leave until he got back from the director's but he hadn't come back in hours... Tony was the first to give up.<br>"Okay, I officially can't stand this anymore," he stated, dropping the case file on his desk and causing a few pages to fall on the floor. It caused Ziva to look up with tired eyes.  
>"That's the third time you said that, Tony," she huffed, smoothly pulling a kitchen knife out of some hidden pocket of her jeans. She studied her nails in concern and began cleaning them with the tip of the knife. "I have to agree with you though. Gibbs is being <em>very_ unfair." As soon as she said that, everyone looked behind them, to check their mysteriously appearing boss had heard her. But Gibbs was nowhere in sight and they all sighed in relieve.  
>"You're very lucky, Officer David," Tony said teasingly.<br>"Lucky? Look at this!" She pointed at the pile of paper on the desk. "You call that lucky?" She pushed the pile away until it almost fell off her desk and used the space to lay her head on her arms.  
>"Maybe you could just finish your paperwork instead of whining," a voice coming from the third desk mumbled. McGee was very busy looking the other way but they both knew he was the one that just spoke.<br>"Well not everyone is a nerd like you, probie. What's next? We should learn to _like_ paperwork?"  
>"I agree with Tony on this one, McGee. You're being ridiculous." The junior agent snorted.<br>"At least I'm working, not chit chatting like you two do," he muttered offended, flipping a page. Tony noticed his pile was thinner than theirs. That was just damn unfair!  
>"We're not chit chatting, McNerd. Old ladies chit chat." The agent opened his mouth, obviously wanted to give a sharp reply, but Ziva interrupted.<br>"At least chitchatting is better than this," she said, lifting her head up. "Anyone has a hair elastic? What?" she asked after seeing their shocked looks. "I just want to put my hair in a, uh, horsetail." After a confused moment, McGee face cracked open. Tony shook his head in disbelief.  
>"Now you're just doing that on purpose."<br>"I'll show you what I can do on purpose," Ziva threatened, angry. She picked up her knife and pointed it in Dinozzo's direction, who scowled and quickly changed the subject.  
>"Do you guys have anything on the marine with the supposedly heart attack?" He waved a directory in their direction.<br>"Except that. According to his doctor, he was as healthy as a pony," Ziva replied with a sparkle in her eyes.  
>"Okay, that definitely was on purpose!" Dinozzo yelled, making a great show of pointing an accusatory finger at her. She just rolled her eyes and winked at McGee, who smirked. The senior agent was just about to show them that <em>no one_ messed with a Dinozzo, when the woman from the post office approached them. She was young and blonde, and was pushing a small trolley in front of her. Grateful for the distraction, Tony leaned back and flashed her a smile.  
>"Well hello there… Linda," he greeted after quickly checking her name on her name badge. "Any mail for me?" The girl tilted her head a little bit to the right, giving him a pondering look.<br>"Have I seen you before?"  
>"Uh.." Dinozzo gave her a half-shrug. <em>Did he? _The girl narrowed her eyes before suddenly clapping in her hands.  
>"Oh yeah, you were the guy that set me up on our date a few weeks back!" He gulped. Right, he'd asked her out… Totally slipped his mind. What now, pretending like he was the wrong guy or telling her how sorry he was? Definitely option 1.<br>"Honestly, I don't know what you're-"  
>" No mail for you!" The woman interrupted him and stalked off, dropping Ziva's en McGee's mail on their desks. They threw him a few amused looks before opening their mail.<br>"Guys, guys!" A cheerful voice yelled and they all looked up. Abby was bouncing up and down on her black pumps, her black ponytails sweeping happily up and down with her. "I need your help! Tony, you give gifts all the time: what would Gibbs like for his birthday? I mean, the only thing I know is that he likes the boat in his basement and his yellow old car but I can't think of anything else..."  
>"Wait, Gibbs' birthday?" Ziva asked at the same time as McGee. They all gaped at her.<br>"What?" she asked innocently.  
>"It's not Gibbs' birthday, Abbs," Tony explained. "Please don't do that again; you freaked us all out."<br>"Okay, okay his almost-birthday present than."  
>He raised his eyebrow.<br>"Oh come on, I just like to buy gifts!"  
>"You never give ME anything."<br>"Well…" The forensic scientist searched for the right words. "I wouldn't want you to get used to it, Tony… Tim!" She wrapped the junior agent in an Abby hug. "I missed you! You never come down anymore," she pouted.  
>"Well, uh, I did. Yesterday."<br>"But I wasn't there?"  
>"No. So I just went back up again." Abby knotted her eyebrows in confusion, staring at his face. Suddenly a light went on.<br>"Wait a second… McGee! Tell me you didn't!"  
>"Did what?" he mumbled, slightly nervous.<br>"Steal my lunch again!" He wrung his hands together, smiling apologizing.  
>"Well, I…"<br>"McGEE!" The whole team yelled._

Tony grinned at the memory. Oh, they booked him alright. Thinking about Abby made him find the strength to dodder to the next house. He felt the anxious feeling that everyone was feeling, but he also believed that his dark princess could sure as hell do more than 'normal' people to escape from something like this. Besides, with Gibbs on your trail, you should be scared to death.  
>He knocked on the door of a small house with dried flowers on the porch. They reeked and he tried to breathe through his mouth, hoping that maybe someone would open the door this time. Suddenly he realized something: now that he was in Mexico, maybe he would find Gibbs' house! What would it look like… Lost in thoughts he gave up knocking and went to the next house. Suddenly he noticed the time. Overjoyed he could stop, he rushed back to the small police station. He didn't even fear that Gibbs would be mad that he didn't get any information. Well, except for that woman that told him her neighbor gave them a lot of nuisance because they were always making a lot of noise. But, she admitted later, that could also have been that street cat they were keeping. Or the television. In other words, nothing that screamed: out of the ordinary. Suddenly, though, Tony Dinozzo got a very strange feeling that he couldn't shake off. The closer he came to the station, the worse it became.<br>He started to walk real fast.  
>Before it would be too late.<br>**  
>AN Okay, that's it. I know what I'm doing again, so that's a step in the right direction! You can expect a chapter very soon so please be patient with me.  
><strong>


	14. Chapter 14: Trade for the impossible

Chapter 14: Trade for the impossible

**A/N  
>Hey, was that fast or what? :) In this chapter things finally are going a little faster. I hope you guys like it! This one will be LONG.<br>We're getting close to the ending! Note: my description of Mexico is probably WRONG. After some research I decided to just leave it be, otherwise you wouldn't be reading this chapter now. :) Anyone seen the newest NCIS episode? I haven't. Because they won't broadcast it in my country. Grrr..  
>(Oh, wondering who Sarah is again? Check chapter 6!)<br>B/N Here Beta speaking, I totally love it when you call me for your plots. And don´t tell her, but the only reason I beta is so I can read the chapter early and help her with plots (A)**

Beta: Tino-chan  
>Spoilers: (Why do I keep mentioning this?) None.<br>Disclaimer: No :(  
>The use of random names in this story is totally coincidental and not based on anyone.<p>

_Preview  
>a man with a tanned skin appeared from behind Sarah. He had a cloth around his head, covering everything above his eyes<br>Abby's eyes fell on his hands and what he was holding.  
>She gasped. And then she started to scream.<em>

Xxxx_  
><em>  
>Gibbs was done interrogating the agents of the small police station. They claimed they didn't know anything about a criminal gang called Comorro or about a truck with a black-haired hostage on it crossing the highly protected border. Of course, Gibbs knew that Mexico didn't extradite, so he didn't have any rights here; he couldn't even arrest them if he managed to catch Abby's kidnappers. It didn't really matter, though. He wasn't planning on arresting them anyway. If they ever were going back to DC, it would be in a body bag, he grimly decided. They thanked the officers, not really wholeheartedly, and stepped outside. Gibbs suppressed a sigh: where the hell was Dinozzo? He told him to be back in an hour… Great, now they had to go looking for him. Just as the special agent was about to send Ziva to go get him, a very familiar person appeared in sight. His black cap was visible, even from the place where they were standing. Gibbs hated to admit it, be he was actually kind of relieved that his senior agent was fine. He didn't need two of his people kidnapped.<br>That moment, he felt the familiar buzzing in his right pocket: his cell phone. At the same time, he suddenly got a gut feeling.  
>He pressed the green button and brought the thing to his ear.<br>"Hello Leroy Jethro Gibbs," a dark voice said. The silver haired agent felt his eyes widen. He knew that voice.  
>"You!" he yelled through the receiver. "Tell me where Abby is!" It was the voice that had spoken to him before,<p>

"Oh, but it won't be so easy. First, let's discuss the trade," the voice said smoothly. Wild gesturing, Gibbs was trying to tell McGee to trace the call. The junior agent understood and started to pull out cables from his bag like crazy. He opened his computer and let his hands flew over the keyboard.  
>"Fine," Gibbs snapped, closing his eyes so he could concentrate. "What's your damn deal?" The person on the other side of the line chuckled.<br>"Right to the point, very good. Well, let's not disappoint you. I want Marcus Harring. He's been sentenced for murder a few months ago. I want him in exchange for the girl." It was silent for a moment when McGee signaled him to keep talking.  
>"So, you're telling me to get one of your guys out of prison for me to get her back?" Gibbs voice was very cold and his team cringed. Meanwhile, Dinozzo had reached them and was listening in to the conversation, his face tense. "One problem. NCIS doesn't negotiate with criminals!" He almost screamed the words. The voice sighed.<br>Gibbs glanced aside and saw McGee, raising his thump, confirming he managed to trace the call. Well, that was good.  
>"We thought you'd think that." There was a kind of click hearable on the other side of the line and Gibbs felt his blood run cold. Because he recognized the sound. It was the click of a safety catch being removed. He started to tell them to wait, but another sound made him freeze. His breath caught in his throat.<br>He heard someone screaming. And not just someone.  
>It was Abby.<p>

"We'll show you what happens when you disobey orders, special agent Gibbs," the voice hissed. A loud bang resonated in his ear. A gunshot. He forgot everything and everyone around him and lost it.  
>"NO!" The scream died away. And then, nothing.<br>The man had hung up.  
>SNAP. Ever since she disappeared, he'd been hanging by a thread. That thread unraveled, fell apart. And then he was falling, falling, falling.<br>Down.  
>Gibbs was too far away too notice his team, slowly approaching him. Ziva was crying, black trails of mascara were running down her face. Tony had wrapped an arm around her, protectively, but with a look of pain on his face. He knew how to hide it but it was still clearly visible. McGee was looking terrified, his eyes big and round, his hands shaking. Abby's name dying on his lips. But Gibbs; he felt numb. Like the whole world had gone black for a moment.<br>And now nothing was the same again.  
>No Abby anymore.<br>No smiles and Caf-POWS and irrelevant stories and hugs and amazing results and kisses on his cheek and… He got very dizzy and searched for something to hold on to. He managed to get a hold of the car before he slumped against it.  
>How was this possible? How could he still be breathing? How could Abby just have…<br>"I think he's in shock," he heard a voice say from what seemed miles way. His vision was blurred but he couldn't seem to close his eyes, to shut out the horror and hope, pray, that this was just a bad dream and-  
>His thoughts were interrupted.<br>The cell phone, still in his hand, went off again. For a few seconds, he didn't know what to do with it. Then his marine senses took over and he pressed the green button. With shaking hands, all he could do was to put it to his ear and listen. Silence. Then:

"Gibbs?"

No. This couldn't be true. He just heard the shot. Abby was gone.  
>He killed her.<p>

"Gibbs are you there?" she sobbed. "They shot Victor, Gibbs, he was my friend! And they just… They SHOT him!"  
>It slowly dawned on him. The voice he was hearing now… She wasn't…<p>

Wasn't?

"Abbs?" he asked in a hoarse voice, full of disbelief. "You're alive?" He stopped falling. Started to float back up.  
>"Yes," she cried softly, her voice broken. "He didn't shoot <em>me<em>." Gibbs breathed out. He realized that suddenly, he could breathe again. The relief that washed through them was so big, so enormous, that he had to close his eyes again. Abby was alive. Alive. She wasn't gone forever.  
>"They want the phone back, I just…"<br>"Hold on, Abbs. I'm coming for you!" He told her softly but confident.  
>"Just… one thing. Jadelyn, is she… Is she alright?" Just after she said that, the phone was snatched out of her hands and Gibbs recognized the voice from before.<br>"Gave you a good scare, did it? Remember that this was just a warning! Next time I won't be shooting other hostages. Next time no one will call you back. Do we have a deal?"  
>"Yes," Gibbs simply answered.<br>"Good. I'm glad we have an agreement." The sinister voice laughed. "You have two days, that should be plenty of time. You bring him, I'll email you the location tomorrow"  
>"Okay," The special agent said, hanging up. He faced his team that was watching him with deep emotion, relief visible in everything: in the corners of their smiles and in their look. Tony cocked his head a little to the left.<br>"You're gonna do it?"  
>"Like hell I will," Gibbs muttered and got in the car, followed by his team. He felt like he'd just woken up from a very bad dream.<br>"But boss, what are you gonna do, then?"  
>Gibbs didn't answer. He pointed at McGee. "What's the address you got?" The probie suddenly seemed to remember that he just found an address and looked at his screen. He turned the computer around and pointed at the place on the map.<br>"It was really hard to trace. A general IT expert won't be able to do it." Luckily McGee wasn't _just_ an IT expert.  
>"I first traced it back to Tokyo, Canada and Germany, but eventually it went back to Mexico. I can't tell you the exact place, boss, the signal was too well covered for that. What I can tell you is that the northern and southern part of Mexico is excluded. It's somewhere in the middle." He breathed out and his shoulders sagged. "But it's better than nothing, right?" Gibbs peered through his eyelashes and had to keep himself from yelling: then WHY would you raise your thumb? But he knew that McGee was one of the best; if he couldn't do it, then not many people could. Gibbs slid back into his car seat, processing the information. She was in the middle part. That meant to real desert scenarios –good. The bad news was that they still didn't have a lead- WAIT. The last thing Abby said to him: <em>"Just… one thing. Jadelyn, is she… Is she alright?"<em>  
>Jadelyn… he'd heard that name before.<br>The hostage-taker that didn't know anything. He didn't break after hours of investigating so they had moved on, keeping him in custody just to be sure. His trial wasn't in a month or so: time to pay him a visit. Gibbs turned the key and started the engine, aware of his still slightly shaking hands. They were getting closer. And he would find her.

Xxxx

Abby's POV

Victor was dead. The man had a gun in his hand and he'd pointed it at her. She believed he was going to shoot, that she was going to die here.

She was thinking: No, no, she couldn't die; not yet! She had so much to live for! Fear clouded her eyes when she'd pushed Danai away from behind her. The bullet could go through her and hit the little girl… The thought made her want to puke. The man was talking in the phone, the gun still pointed at her. And she couldn't move, she just couldn't! Her legs felt like they were suddenly paralyzed. Shock, she knew, could do that to you. Everyone was dead silent except for the man in the phone. She heard him say Gibbs' name and felt her eyes go round. He was talking to Gibbs! Abby tried to say something, but her throat felt blocked. She heard the man do his offer and softly heard Gibbs denying. Good. She didn't want to do any more damage than she'd already done.  
>"We thought you'd think that," the man said cruel and before she knew it, he pointed the gun at her more imminent.<br>He removed the safety catch.  
>He was going to shoot her. Abby screamed.<br>BANG.

This was it. Now she was dead.  
>Then why did she feel so… alive? Why were there tears running over her face? She looked up and saw the man in front of her, slowly sagging to the ground. Victor.<br>She wasn't shot.  
>Victor was.<br>The forensic scientist felt the blood, streaming over her hands, blood that wasn't hers: blood that flooded from his head and formed a puddle around his body. He was dead. For a second, Abby could only stare at him. She wasn't shot because he jumped before her. And now he was dead. The man with the gun seemed as surprised as she was. He had flipped his phone shut and seemed to be desperately thinking what he should do now. Then his face brightened. He smirked at the body and dialed a number, before handing her the phone.  
>"You want to call Gibbs? Tell him you're alive?"<br>Abby just looked at him. Why would he do that? Why would he let her?  
>"Oh, just wanted to give him a good scare. Maybe he knows we're serious now. Of course, it's a little inconvenient that he's dead," he kicked against Victor's body, that shifted a little under the impact. "But he wasn't going to last anyway with that illness. So, let's make this into something good, shall we?" Still, Abby wasn't able to speak. She stroke with her fingers over Victor's face, smearing it with blood. She tried to clean her hands by wiping them off on her clothes, and stroke his face again.<br>"You're gonna call or what?" Abby ignored him.  
>"Thank you, Victor," she whispered. "I'm so sorry. I'll tell everyone what happened, how brave you were." She started to cry now, really cry. Sobs shook her body when she pressed the green button and held the phone to her ear.<br>"Gibbs?"  
>It was so good hearing from him, but she couldn't think, she wanted to hug him, touch him, but all she saw was the death body right before her eyes.<br>The man tried to take the phone back, but she hold on to with all her strength.  
>"Hold on, Abbs. I'm coming for you!" He told her softly but confident. Was he? Was he really? It was Gibbs, she knew he could do <em>anything<em>, but would he be on time? Well, this was not the time to doubt her silver haired fox. She suddenly remembered something important.  
>"Just… one thing. Jadelyn, is she… Is she alright?" Just after she said that, the phone was snatched out of her hands. Her hands were empty. His voice was gone.<br>"Just hurry," she whispered to herself as the man with the phone left.

Now, probably a few hours later, they'd taken Victor away. The blood had seeped in the ground for a part; the other part just dried up. A dark red stain formed the place where he…he… They all avoided the place, cuddling together in a corner. Abby kept telling the children that it was all gonna be okay, that they were all going to be rescued and fine. She didn't think they were buying it. They were all in shock, even Jasmin, who'd only just waken up. She discovered that the girl was drugged. Behind her long hair, she had a small, red needle mark. The deaf girl also didn't recall fleeing from the dark room.  
>She did discover that the place they were now, what had seemed to be the same room they had escaped from, was in fact a similar room. Of course, no one could install bars in such a short time, and the shadows were different. Besides, there was a rusty ventilation shaft in the right corner, covered in dusty sand. Abby looked at it thoughtfully. No, she wasn't going to fit in there… But-<p>

But a six-year old could.

She turned to Danai, who was looking in the distance, scared to close her eyes because of the nightmares that would haunt her if she did.  
>"Listen, Danai, could you look at me for a second?" Abby asked gently, petting her hair. As the girl did so, she pointed at the ventilation shaft. "Would you have the courage to climb through that shaft?" The girl looked at the rusty grid.<br>"Um, it's closed."  
>"Yeah, but we could try to open it." The forensic scientist stood up with shaky legs and crouched in front of the shaft. She pulled on it with all of her strength.<br>And with a loud, ripping noise, the grid came loose. The girl fell backwards because of the impact and looked through inside. At the end of the narrow shaft, she could make out a bright tip of light, so bright that it had to be the outside. She motioned Danai to come closer.  
>'Listen, sweetie, this shaft leads to outside. I don't know where you'll head up, but we have to try. Do you understand?" The little girl nodded carefully and Abby felt her heart breaking by how much this girl had to go through. "You're very, very brave, you know that? I'm going to tell you what to do now, so you have to listen really hard, okay?" Again, Danai nodded.<br>"This is a phone number that belongs to NCIS. They will help us. You can't trust the police or anyone who is Mexican. Okay? Don't trust anyone, except for tourists. Ask a tourist if you can make a phone call and then you call this number:" She wrote a number with her finger in the dust on the floor. "And when you do that, you ask for _Leroy Jethro Gibbs. _He will come and get you." She made the girl repeat it a few times and finally asked: "Okay, what do you do?" Danai bit nervously on her lip.  
>"First I climb through the shaft, then I go look for a tourist, I ask if I can make a call. Then I call the number," she said in a little voice and summed up the number. Abby could tell she was scared. "And then I ask for Leroy Jethro Gibbs," The six-year-old finished.<br>"Have I told you how brave you are?" She asked with a soothing smile, stroking the girls hair. Danai nodded. Then hesitated, as if she were going to say something.  
>'Uh… Abby?"<br>"Yes, sweetie?"  
>"Are you going to be rescued when I do this?"<br>"I think so," the black-haired girl answered honestly. "You think you can do this?" Danai nodded.  
>"I'll see you again, right?" She suddenly asked frightened.<br>"You will," Abby promised, before helping the girl climb up the shaft. It was just big enough for her not to get stuck, but Luca would've been too big. All she could do now was to pray for it to turn out alright; for Danai to get safe to NCIS. And the other children prayed with her.

Xxxx  
><em>One hour later<em>

They had arrived in the capital city of Mexico: Mexico City. The city was located around the middle of the country so they guessed it was a good place to start. Gibbs wanted to visit the main state prison to visit the criminal that had kidnapped that little girl in a hotel just a few days ago. But before that, he wanted to speak to the little girl herself. They talked to the FBI on the phone: Fornell. He was already back in DC and gave them an address. It didn't take long before Gibbs and Dinozzo were on their way. Ziva and McGee were already at the hotel they booked for the night. It was a small, discrete place with a palm tree next to the entrance. There only were three rooms available. So they had decided that Gibbs could get his own room, because, well, isn't that obvious? One for Ziva because she was a woman, and one for Tony and McGee, who unfortunately, were stuck together. All their boss did was to put his suitcase on the bed. Then he left again, making Tony run after him. So now they were sitting in Gibbs' car, in total silence. Tony was trying to keep breathing when it looked like they were crashing at every corner, and Gibbs was just thinking of everything and nothing; about time and lack of time, about Abby being here and Abby being gone. About saving her and losing her. Tony's phone ringed: it was McGee.  
>"What's up, probie?" he asked, grateful to break the silence. "What? You what? Great. Well, I know I'm not gonna sleep on your room anymore… Yeah, I'll put him on. Its McGee," he told Gibbs. "He has food poisoning because he ate the shrimps from the mini bar. His boss raised an eyebrow and accepted the phone.<br>"So McGee, you call me when I'm really busy to tell me you're ill?"  
>"Um, that too, boss, but we just got a call from prison. That little girl's kidnapper died about an hour ago. He was killed in an uproar." Gibbs' hands tightened around the steering wheel. "Did he say anything before his death?"<br>"No, boss. I'm sorry." He sighed.  
>"McGee, go to bed. I need you tomorrow. Tony can sleep in Ziva's room."<br>"What?" Tony protested, but he ignored him and hung up. They continued the rest of the trip in renewed silence. When they arrived, they were both pretty tired. The house was pretty grand; it was radiating: _we have money. _They were let in by the maid, who directed them to the living room. Jadelyn was sitting on a chair, playing with a doll. She didn´t seem very happy. She looked up when she saw Gibbs and put the doll down.  
>"Have you found Danai?" She asked eagerly, slipping from the chair. A young woman appeared in the door opening.<br>"Jadelyn, honey, go play upstairs, okay?" She waited until the girl was gone and faced them "Can I help you?"  
>"Yes Ma'am. We're from NCIS. That stands for-"<br>"I know what it stands for. You helped us getting Jadelyn back! Any new on the case?" She asked with wide eyes.  
>"I'm sorry, but no. We're here so we can ask your daughter some questions," Tony smiled at her. Her face fell.<br>"I'm sorry, but no. Your people already asked her questions. She told them that she had to put a blindfold on and after that, she was at the hotel. She alerted the hotel manager by singing a song, who called us. End of story. I don't want her to relive that bad experience again.  
>"Ma'am, it might be vital information to get your other daughter back," Gibbs said calm. But the woman was inexorable. She kept directing them to the door so they had no other choice than to leave. Back in the car, Gibbs was very angry. He told Tony to go and look for possible witnesses or statements again. In other words, he had to go to houses and shops again. And again. But Gibbs' look was so scary that Tony didn't even dare to groan. Their hotel was a ten minute drive away, so Gibbs pulled over half way and told Tony to get out so he could walk back, to go by doors and ask anyone he saw for information. Reluctantly, the senior agent got out and started walking again. He watched the car leave with pain in his heart. Suddenly, he saw someone stumbling across the road. A little girl was slowly coming his way…<p>

**A/N  
>Soooo<br>Anyone really think I killed her off? Anyone?  
>XD<br>Woohoo cliffhanger!  
><strong>


	15. Chapter 15: Dusty footprints

**A/N Welcome back! Since it's Carnaval, a Dutch festival, I have no school for a week. In other words, I'm determined to finish this story. Oh, and this one will have Tiva scenes! Anyone against it?  
>I don't think this story will go one for much longer, maybe 2 or 3 chapters after this one.. We'll see. I always tend to make everything longer than I planned. Oh well.<br>Thanks to Tino, as usual, who keeps sneaking in "Beta-notes". XD She wasn't my Beta for this chapter though! It's really late but I couldn't wait and just **_**had to**_** finish it.  
>And thanks to Jip, my cat, who keeps meowing at me, ordering me to keep writing after the point where my eyeballs have fallen out and my fingers won't type anymore.<strong>  
>Beta: No Beta. There will be mistakes. Maybe, tomorrow, I'll put some improves here and there.<br>Spoilers: none  
>Disclaimer: No. :(<p>

_Preview:_  
><em>Reluctantly, the senior agent got out and started walking again. He watched the car leave with pain in his heart. Suddenly, he saw someone stumbling across the road.<em>

A little girl with torn clothing and a dirty braid was slowly coming his way. Tears ran down her face and he saw she was barefooted. But the strangest was the color of her hair: you didn't really see many people with blonde hair around here. Besides, it was already five in the evening. The heat was slowly decreasing and the sun was already starting its way down. Tony frowned concerned and walked towards the little girl. She was looking wildly around her and it looked like she could fall down any moment.  
>"Hello little one, are you lost?" he asked, concerned, and kneeled down at her feet. Bright blue eyes looked at him in wonder, but she didn't say anything.<br>"Right, you're probably not English. Uhh… Right…"  
>"Are you a tourist?" she asked suddenly, crossing her hands for her chest, staring at him. Tony grinned.<br>"So you _do_ speak English! No, I'm not a tourist. I'm with N-" He abruptly stopped talking. They weren't in their jurisdiction right now, and moreover: they weren't even allowed to be here. He couldn't tell the little girl he was from NCIS. So, what should he say then? "I'm just… someone." Oh yeah, really smooth Dinozzo.  
>"Oh." The girl's face fell and she bit her lip. She rubbed her hands against each other nervously.<br>"How did you get here? Are you lost?" He flashed his famous Dinozzo smile to make her feel comfortable, but she walked away without saying another word.  
>"Hey, wait up! Come on, don't walk away. Maybe I can help you? Bring you home?" Tony was never really good with children, and he couldn't think of anything to say as he watched her leave. Suddenly he heard the noise of an engine , he saw a car speeding his way. He didn't even have to see the model or color of the car to know who it belonged to: the driving style spoke for itself. Tony patiently waited for the car to arrive, but the little girl just freaked out. She wildly looked around her, and finally decided that Tony was the safer option. In a few seconds she was hiding behind his back, her hands firmly grasping his coat. Before the special agent could turn around and ask her what she was doing, the car came to a halt before him. The car door flew open and the window was scrolled down,<br>"Dinozzo," Gibbs snapped. He threw an object at Tony, who automatically caught it. He looked down at was his badge.  
>"Ah," Tony said understanding. Holding the shiny thing up. "Thanks, Gibbs." Then girl behind him sharply sucked in a breath and peeked with her head around Tony's waist.<br>"Are you Leroy Jethro Gibbs?" She asked hopefully. Both man stared at her.  
>"Yeah. How do you know that?" the silver haired agent asked, narrowing his eyes.<br>"Abby told me to call NCIS and ask for Leroy Jethro Gibbs and tell you," she summarized, digging into her memory. "Because you would… come and fine me?" Gibbs and Dinozzo both gaped at her.  
>"Abby… Abby told you?" Gibbs asked in a hoarse voice while the senior agent could still not utter a word. The girl nodded repeatedly.<br>"Yes, she told me to… call…" Her legs gave out and she sagged to the ground. Dinozzo caught her just in time and threw a look at Gibbs, speechless. They put her in the car, making sure she was resting as comfortable as possible in the backseat.  
>" Heatstroke," Gibbs said short, starting the engine, while Tony got in too, closing the door behind him. He went to sit next to the girl carefully.<br>"I tell you Gibbs, that was one of the weirdest things I've ever experienced!" Tony whispered, leaning forward. "Except you driving this slowly, that is." Gibbs rolled his eyes unnoticed. "Sooo," He put on his mystery voice. "You figured out who this is, yet?"  
>"Oh yeah," his boss replied, staring rigidly out of the windshield. "Yeah, I who she is. Don't you, Dinozzo?" He was looking very calm on the outside, but on the inside he was anything <em>but <em>calm. They had a clue. And not just a clue; a vital one. Something, or rather someone, who had seen Abby, talked to her. _This_ was it; that thing he'd been waiting for. Finally there was a chance that he would find her, find her fast. Because time was running out. Two days, the kidnapper had told him. Two days to supposedly get a criminal out of prison. As if he would do that. He narrowed his eyes in contempt . They should know better than to mess with him; hell, they should know better than to mess with NCIS. After a glance in the rearview mirror he concluded that the girl was still under and wasn't going to be able to tell them anything tonight. He decided that the child should eat and sleep first since it was obvious that she'd been through a lot.  
>"Boss?" Tony whispered loudly for the second time, interrupting his thoughts. "I think I… don't exactly… know what you're talking about…" The uncertainty in his voice spoke for itself.<br>"You _think_, Dinozzo?" Sometimes he wondered why he relied on the man so much.

It wasn't long until they got back to the hotel. Tony tugged on his seat belt and freed himself, clumsily picking up the girl to meet his boss at the front of the hood. Gibbs raised one eyebrow at him and offered to take her over. Dinozzo gladly handed her over, relieved to be released of the burden of having a little girl sleeping with him and Ziva. Right! He was going to share a room with Ziva… A vague smile spread out over his face. He knew the Israeli woman would have his head if he tried something, but where would be the fun in that if he didn't? Now that they finally had a clue to Abby's whereabouts, the senior agent felt suddenly more certain of himself. The hope had returned; the hope that they were going to find her on time. Tony followed Gibbs in the hotel, where they retrieved their keys. They went upstairs, through a small corridor with several, identical doors on both sides. Tony checked the label in his key: number 225. He'd just passed door number 115, so kept walking right behind Gibbs, who seemed to know his way perfectly. Tony sighed as he looked at the tense back of his boss. They were all so afraid and when they'd thought she'd died… His world had collapsed for a second. But Gibbs –he'd never seen him that way. The way he had looked couldn't be described in words. Tony almost stumbled over the dull carpet as Gibbs abruptly stood still in front of a door with number 224 on it. The silver haired man gave him a small nod as to say goodnight and went through the door, leaving Tony in the corridor.  
><em>So I guess that means no joint dinner? <em>He thought, feeling a bit of regret. Oh well, they could always order room service. He jumped when he heard soft puking noises from the room next to Gibbs'. Thank god they didn't put him with McGee now that he was ill. The next door was, of course, his. The unlocked it and slowly let it swing open, wary. He didn't want a knife or anything sharp –she could, after all, kill him with at least 200 different things- accidentally flying his way. But fortunately, nothing happened. The room was quite big; there was a double bed with what he thought was an adjoining bathroom. There were two closets, one already filled with Ziva's clothes and the other one empty. On the left side of the room was a heater with one towel hanging over it. Tony guessed that Ziva had the other one –he could hear the shower running. He suddenly felt very tired and sat down on the bed, running his hand through his hair. Thinking: room service. Thinking: I want to take a shower, too. Thinking…. Hold on.  
>Wait a second.<p>

One bed?

At the same time, he heard the noise of the shower stop. After a few minutes, the lock was turned and Ziva walked out, wearing a long nightshirt. She froze midway as she spotted him, sitting on the bed.  
>"What. The hell. Are you doing in my room?" she hissed, her eyes flaming. Great. Nobody told her yet.<br>"Uh," Tony raised his hands in a gesture of innocence. "It wasn't my decision; McGee is sick. He's probably puking his guts out right now and Gibbs said… said.." he stammered, slowly backing away from her murderous look – and probably intentions. She halted, putting a hand in her side.  
>"How did it go, did you find anything?" she suddenly asked, her voice soft. Tony realized that the Israeli woman really cared a lot about Abby. She was even willing to put her resentment about them sleeping together in one bed aside… or maybe she hadn't thought of that part, yet. Though, Tony understood that the two were close, maybe just as close as he and Abby were, and he gave her a careful smile.<br>"We found… something big!" He had to give everything he had to keep him from yelling in his joy. "A girl who claims that Abby send her to find Gibbs!" Ziva gasped and Tony couldn't fight back a grin. "It's a really young girl and she passed out before we could ask how she knew all that, but Gibbs is certain that she's telling the truth," he finished. Ziva frowned.  
>"How?"<br>"He said he knew who she was, which I think is," he lowered his voice, "_really _strange."  
>"Hmm…" She gave him a pondering look. "How old did you say she was?"<br>"About.. Five or six?"  
>"Blonde hair?"<br>"Okay, that's really creepy. Do you and Gibbs, what, share the same crazy genius mind or something?" Tony asked in disbelief. Ziva snorted.  
>"I just thought you went to see a little girl with blonde hair today, yes? Whose twin sister was missing?" Tony could almost slap <em>himself <em> on the back of his head. Of course. Of course!  
>"Of course!" he told Ziva. "It's the other girl… Uh… I think it was Danai… And if Jadelyn was being held at the same place as Abby -" "Then so was Danai!" Ziva finished, looking up at him with a hint of tears in her dark brown eyes. "We finally have a real clue, Tony!" she whispered, and before he knows it she wrapped him a hug. Dinozzo, taken aback, automatically closed his arms around her and pressed her to his chest, burying his face in her hair. This felt good, it felt right-<br>"What are you doing?" Ziva freed herself with confusion written all over her face. She raised one eyebrow dangerously. "You try something like that again and I swear.." she searched for words, and in that moment Tony's recovered enough to grab the small phone that was placed next to the bed and said the magic word: room service?

Xxxx

Gibbs fought every thought involving his daughter when he watched the girl, the scared, abused, little girl, drink from a bottle of water like every gulp was going to be her last one. He was beyond furious at the people who'd done this to such a young girl. Her hair had lost its sheen and her cheeks were hollow. When she'd put on new clothes, his old shirt, to be clear; the one Abby had used when she'd stayed over during the Michael-case, he noticed that you could count her ribs. The shirt was more like a dress to her, though, and it made her look even smaller. Malnutrition, heatstroke, forced to leave under poor circumstances –let alone the trauma it probably gave her. It made him nauseous. But it also made him terrified about what had happened to Abby, what was still happening right now. When Danai was done eating, he put her in one of the two beds – he briefly wondered if he'd gotten the right room – and decided to rest a little bit himself, too. Soon, though, he found that he just could not sleep. It was dark outside, just like the night she was abducted, not even that long ago. It felt like months had passed while in fact it was just mere days. A small beam of moonlight shone in through a space between the curtains. Gibbs felt too tired to get up and close them completely, so he just focused on that pale fleck of light on the floor. Moonlight. It was the only thing connecting him to her right now, because he knew she enjoyed watching it, too. Was she watching it now? He liked to think she was. Maybe, hopefully, she was doing just that; wishing that he would come and safe her. Maybe it would make her feel just a little less alone. Oh, how he wished he could take all of her pain away right now, pulling her in his arms and never letting her go ever again. He would make sure no one ever would touch her again –hell, he'd create an official rule about it. _Touch Abby and you're dead_ or something like that. _Make Abby cry and I will let you die_. He was sure Dinozzo would love that one. With a chuckle on his lips, he felt his eyes closing down on him, dragging him away to a redemptive sleep.

**A/N And that's it! We're getting close! I wasn't planning to make this all about Gibbs and Tony but what can I say? It just happened.  
>Since my Beta is asleep right now, ;) I had to ask some help at my other best friend: Mister Google Translator. He can be wrong sometimes. The next update will come soon, too. I finally have it all planned out! :)<strong>


	16. Chapter 16: Saving the day

Chapter 16: saving the day

**A/N I´m sooooo sorry. Really, I´m having this extremely busy internship; I learning to be a primary school teacher. It's a very busy period and I'm putting my whole heart and soul in trying to keep myself somewhat alive through all of the work and exams..  
>I want to thank you, everyone who reads this story and decides it's worth it to keep reading. You have no idea how much you mean to me. You do.<br>Spiritgirl-11 , Thanks for reminding me of that.**

Warning!: This chapter will contain violence, not suitable for young readers.  
>Beta: My dear friend Tino-chan is busy with her own stories. And I wanted to post this today, so I can work on my school report and finish it hopefully before midnight.<p>

_Preview  
>With a chuckle on his lips, Gibbs felt his eyes closing down on him, dragging him away to a redemptive sleep.<em>

He woke up early the next day; awoken by a sound he couldn't quit place. Reluctantly, he opened his eyes, his first thoughts all involving black, steamy coffee. The images of a good, full mug immediately were replaced by worry, as he noticed the empty bed next to his. His eyes flew around the room, searching for the little girl. She still had to be in the room, since he'd made sure the door was very well locked before he went to sleep. The sleeping pills he took were just to make sure he'd made it through the night, but they didn't do his hearing very good. He noticed that the door leading to the bathroom was slightly open. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and went to check if she was there.  
>She was.<br>The little girl was sitting in the left corner, slumped against the white tile wall. Her eyes were closed and her breath was even. Danai was asleep. Gibbs wondered why she would sleep on the floor and crouched down beside the frail little child. He gently patted her hair, softly calling her name.  
>"Danai, wake up… It's time to wake up, little one." Suddenly, he was struck by painful memories, about his own girl, waking her up for a school day. How she would grunt and turn over, completely ignoring him. He would start to tickle her until she couldn't feign to be asleep anymore. The special agent quickly suppressed the images and forced himself to put on a poker face.<br>He didn't want Danai to see his tormented look.  
>She awoke with a startled shriek, backing away until her back was pressed against the wall. Gibbs, surprised at first, understood her distress. He put on his most gentle, soothing voice and called her name. She raised her chin a little, shivering all over.<br>"Hey, you've been sleeping well? You don't have to be scared, ya know. In fact, I have a little surprise for you." She peeked through her straight, blonde hair. Gibbs went on like her behavior was completely normal, and in a way, it was, considering all that she'd been through. "You know what room service is?" The girl nodded, still a little wary.  
>"You wanna try ordering it? I heard they have this amazing hot chocolate…" The silvered haired man hoped that if he pretended that everything was totally fine and there was no reason for her to be scared like this, she would realize she was safe again. He didn't want to push the girl about the place she'd been held when she was still looking like this. Gibbs had to get her to feel comfortable first. He held out his hands, and very slowly, she took it, getting up from the floor. He didn't lift her up; just leaded her to a chair and let her sit, while he took the phone of the hook and handed it to her. He dialed the three digits number for the hotel desk and told Danai to order whatever she wanted.<br>The special agent watched her expression change from agitation to wonder to joy. A small smile crept on his face when he heard her enthusiastically order way too much food. Well, it wasn't like they'd have to worry about the leftovers. Gibbs knew a certain special agent that ate more than was good for him and whose growling stomach sometimes overruled _him_ as he was barking orders. Of course, he was thinking about the man who was sleeping next door, in the same room as Ziva. It made him grin secretly. That reminded him, he had to check up on Tim later, see if the man was still ill. His thoughts were interrupted as Danai abruptly handed him the phone.  
>"Ah, you're done, little one? You better bring that fast," He added to the person on the other side of the line. "Oh, and don't forget to add a very strong cup of coffee." He smiled at the blonde girl before hanging up. "So, you ordered a lot, did you? Good job." Her gaze shifted from sudden panic to reassurance.<br>"Yea, cause they were telling me they had a lot and I'm really hungry and I could order everything right?" Her voice sounded way better, stronger too.  
>"Yes, I did. I guess now we have to wait." She pouted. Just like a six-year-old should, Gibbs thought pleasantly. He liked to see her reviving a little. After a few minutes, someone knocked on their door. Danai opened the door and accepted the trolley with all the food on it. There were croissants and freshly roasted toast with a lot of butter and jam, and there were eggs and small pancakes. To top it off, there was a kettle filled with hot cacao.<br>"Twis is weally yummy," Danai told him a little time later, with her mouth full of bread and butter and with dark chocolate stains all over her face. Gibbs was leaning back in one of the chairs, slowly chewing on a slice of toast. He wasn't a breakfast person, but he didn't mind eating something if it pleased the kid. The coffee was brought a few minutes later than the rest; the staff member apparently left it in the kitchen. Gibbs had glared at him for the entire 30 seconds he was in their room. It made Danai giggle and she demanded a taste of the black liquid. After taking one gulp and almost spitting it all over the floor, she swore he was crazy to drink that disguising stuff and poured herself some more hot cacao. Gibbs found the way she talked to him very refreshing. Sometimes, he was just fed up about everyone indulging to his very orders a little disturbing. He knew people talked about him, telling others horror stories about his rules. It wasn't like he cared, but that didn't stop him from thinking a true word, a true opinion soothing. It was part of what attracted him to Abby. Her pure innocence and her strength to believe in the things she fought for. The clock was still ticking but he had to get Danai to be okay first. Otherwise he wouldn't get the information he wanted anyway.

After breakfast, he called the adjacent room, telling Tony and Ziva to report to him immediately. It didn't take long before they came bursting in. Dinozzo looked at the food in shock.  
>"Boss, you told us we couldn't get room service!" It took only one penetrating stare to shut him up, but Gibbs took mercy on him and gestured at the leftovers.<br>"Help yourself, Dinozzo. I can't have your growling stomach get in the way of our investigation." It felt rather cold to call his desperate search an 'investigation', but he knew how important it was to make sure you didn't lose yourself in any operation you were too close to. The younger agent blinked, but seemed to understand. He nodded curtly and soon became too caught up with eating.

After an hour or so everyone was ready to go out. Even McGee, who still looked slightly green, was determined to go. Gibbs highly respected that.  
>He kneeled down next to Danai so he could talk to her on eye level.<br>"Danai, this is the plan. We're going to search for Abby and the others today." His voice became slightly urgent. "Can you remember which way you've walked yesterday?" He looked intensely in her blue eyes, begging for her to remember. Danai lower lip started to tremble.  
>"I… I…" she stammered.<br>"Danai, this is really important."  
>"I… I don't know.." She started to cry. Great sobs shook her body. Gibbs groaned and softly patted her hair.<br>"Listen, if we're going to drive around town with the car, so no one can see you, do you think you will try to see if you remember something?" Danai hesitated. "This is really important. You want to save Abby, too, do you?" She nodded, tears spilling over her face.  
>"I do… but… I'm scared! I'm scared they will put me in the dark room again and I will be so hungry and I want to go to my mommy!" The six-year-old cried. Despite everything, Gibbs closed his eyes monumentarily. When he opened them again, he gave her a dead serious look.<br>"Danai, I swear I'll keep your safe. No one is gonna hurt you." Pang. The promise he did to Abby, so many months ago, hit him. He failed to keep his promise. But this time, no one on the entire planet would prevent him from protecting this little girl until he could safely get her back in her parent's arms. He tried to project this feeling with his stare and finally, the child seemed to understand. Finally, she nodded.  
>"I'll try."<p>

Xxxx

"You bitch, I knew you would eventually cause us trouble," The man snarled when he lifted her up at her hair again. Abby screamed, kicked, fought, but it was of no use. The foreign man held her wrist in a grip of steel. Panting, she gave up, slumping to the floor.  
>"Oh, don't think I will give up that easily. How did you make her escape?" Abby pressed her lips together, not planning to tell him everything. The kids were both pressed against each other in a corner in the other side of the room. She'd told them not to help her if they found out. They had to protect themselves. After a lot of persuasion, she finally obliged them to. Abby could only be grateful at the fact that they immediately went for her when the guard noticed Danai's absence. He'd called Sarah's apparent boss, who slapped her in the face with all of his strength. By the feel of it, she'd lost two teeth. Great. She hated dentists.<p>

"Where is that little brat?" The man spat in her face, pulling her hair again, lifting her up again and drawing tears to her eyes by doing so. No way was she telling them anything. "You're not gonna talk? We'll find a way to make you talk," he growled, suddenly releasing her. She didn't see his foot coming until it hit her head. With a scream she fell down, hands covering her head. Stars suddenly appeared all around her. Big, shiny stars, raining down on her. Pain envelops her and the forensic scientist starts to cry. Another kick, in the side. Her thoughts fly everywhere, trying to escape the inescapable pain.  
>"You're gonna spill now?"<br>No. Never.  
>Her ribs… She's so scared… what if he broke them? Blood, in her mouth.<br>_Don't worry. Gibbs will come. The pain will go away. You're still __alive.  
><em>Another kick. She s wit coming, held up her arm, trying to protect herself. The horrible sound of something snapping, breaking. And then there's just the blood, everywhere. It's in her eyes and ears and mouth and she's drowning, drowning…

He gave her some time to regain consciousness before hauling her upwards. The man knew this girl was stubborn enough to keep silent, even if she would die in the progress. This method wasn't working. Suddenly, his gaze fell upon the little girl and boy, who were both crying violently, trying their hardest not to look how the person that swore to protect them was falling apart, literally. He grinned, setting a step in their direction. They both scowled.  
>"So, miss Scientist. Maybe you want to talk before I smack their little heads off, or do you really want two murders on your conscience? Children are really frail, you know.. He took another step, watching pleasantly as panic slowly dawned on her face.<br>"No… no," she begged, attempting to crawl towards them. "No.."  
>"So, you're talking now?" She kept silent, so he took another step. He could reach the children now. He stretched out his arm and-<br>"NOOO! Okay, I'll tell you everything! Just.."She coughed up some blood. "Just don't hurt them…" Abby whispered, desperately clutching her stomach, trying not to fall apart. The man grinned evilly.  
>"I knew you would break eventually. Tell me." As hot tears ran down her face, she pointed at the ventilation shaft and told him.<br>"There's no way you're catching up with her," she dared to defiantly add. The man snorted.  
>"Oh, we'll see about that." In a few steps he was standing in front of her again. This time there was nothing she could do to defend her from the kick.<br>_At least_, she managed to think before falling into unconsciousness, _I tried to protect them._

Xxxx

They had been driving for hours now, and Gibbs couldn't shake off a very bad feeling he'd been having since that morning. He didn't want to lose hope but he also knew that if anyone had as much as touched one hair on her body, he was going to kill the person. With his bare hands. Despite that, his gut urged him to hurry and he became more restless with every minute that passed.

Danai still didn't recognize anything. She seemed confused, asked them to turn around, but then telling them she was mistaken. Gibbs noticed the rest of the team becoming frustrated. He tried to stay calm, give her space to remember, but at the end of the afternoon, even _he_felt like it was hopeless. The little girl wasn't going to remember anything.

"Let's go back," he ordered, his voice loaded with disappointment. "Maybe we'll find something if we… go over everything again." It was a feeble excuse, implying they had nothing.  
>And they all knew it.<br>Suddenly, Danai leaped up. She pressed her nose against the glass, tapping with her finger on the glass.  
>"I remember, I remember!" she shrieked. McGee braked at full force, making them all bounce up.<br>"Is that the house they were holding you?" Gibbs asks, tension and hope ringing in his voice. To his utter disappointment, the girl shook her head.  
>"No, no, it's something else… We… tried to escape and I had to walk for very long.." Tony tried to interrupt, but Gibbs silenced him, gesturing her to continue. "We, uh, went to a mean man and woman and they said we could go sleep on the attic and Abby said she wanted to call you. But… " Her voice wavered. "But when I woke up I was in the dark room again. And… And Abby told us that they were very bad people." She pointed at the house. "That's the house of the bad people!" Gibbs looked at Ziva, Tony, McGee, and they all thought the same thing.<br>_Bingo._

If they could trace a trail back from those people to the kidnappers, they would find Abby for sure. Gibbs eyes brightened. They had a lead.  
>And some people seriously should considering what they had done.<br>Because Leroy Jethro Gibbs was on their trail.  
>And he was going to hunt them down with all he got. Until he got them all.<p>

And Abby would be back in his arms.

**A/N Sorry for the torture scene! I'm hoping you all don't want to kill me… yet.  
><strong>


	17. Chapter 17: Daylight

Chapter 17: Daylight

A-N

**Hi everyone,**

**I really had a problem with this chapter: there was a piece of the puzzle in my mind that was missing. I talked to everyone, even asked people for their help (thank you spiritgirl-11!) After all this, someone suddenly made me see the light. I don't know why I didn't come up with it myself… This is still plot development, but verrrry soon you'll have the Gabby fluff everyone's waiting for! :) I'll stop rambling now, so you guys can finally read the next chapter.**

Special thanks to camiguin, for sending me one of the kindest reviews ever.  
>spiritgirl-11, for helping me and having <em>only <em>this story in her favorite stories list.

Beta: Tino-chan. My English in this chapter basically sucked, so without her help you wouldn't be reading this chapter now.

_Preview:  
>If they could trace those people back to the kidnappers, they would find Abby for sure. Gibbs eyes brightened. They finally had a lead. <em>

Xxxx

Now that they'd finally found a clue –a vital clue– his first reaction was to _go for it._  
>But he was Gibbs, and if he ever learned something in all of those years as a marine, it was to never do<em> anything<em> without a decent plan.

So that's what they did.

They were all sitting in the car, parked around the corner, so they wouldn't rise suspicion. Gibbs and Tony were sitting in the front and were slightly turned so they could talk to McGee and Ziva who were sitting in the back.

"Boss, should we try to contact director Vance? I'm quite sure he's not gonna like us storming inside that building. Besides, we don't have any jurisdiction here…" McGee told him, slightly nervous and still looking a little greenish.  
>Gibbs sighed. He knew he wasn't allowed to arrest anyone –he'd known that all along. Luckily he had never planned on <em>arresting<em> the ones responsible. He wasn't planning on letting the damn jurisdiction stop him.  
>"We are losing time," he growled suddenly, slamming his hand down on the dashboard. "Okay. Dinozzo and McGee go around the back. Wait for my signal. Ziva and I are going in at the front."<br>"And what do we do when we find the people Danai told us about?" Tony asked, pointing with his thumb over his shoulder, where the girl was sleeping in the back seat.  
>"Oh, and we can't possibly leave her in the car, Gibbs!" Ziva was right. He hadn't considered that.<br>"Okay, McGee, you stay here," he told the younger agent in a gruff voice, absently tracing the outlines of his badge with his thumb. The man looked like he was going to be sick again anyway.  
>"In that case, boss, can Ziva go with-"<br>"No."  
>"But-"<br>"NO."  
>"Yes boss."<br>"And about the people we'll hopefully find… we're bringing them here for interrogation. If they are part of this, I'll see what I'm gonna do with them. Try not to shoot them."  
>All three agents echoed a "yes boss" and he started the engine.<p>

Xxxx

"NCIS!"  
>They burst in, yelling police, guns raised. A black haired woman flew up from the couch she had been sitting on and raised her hands, startled. She screamed something in Spanish, probably alerting her husband. He came flying down the stairs seconds later, only to completely freeze when he spotted the agents. The tanned man hissed something to his wife, who only shrugged helplessly.<br>"I'm pretty sure he was cursing boss," Tony told Gibbs, while pulling out his handcuffs and cuffing the still screaming man. "Hush, that's not gonna help you, fella," He said to his captive, dragging him with him. They cleared the rest of the house and checked outside. The street was deserted. They put the man and woman in the car as silent and as fast as they could, not to alert any neighbors. When the black doors of their van closed behind them they drove away immediately. With screeching tires, they rounded the corner and drove until they were at a safe distance. Gibbs parked in the shadow of a big palm tree and abruptly turned around so he faced the two captives. They both winced.  
>"English?" he growled. Silence.<br>"Let me do this, Gibbs," Ziva offered. She started talking swiftly in Spanish.  
>"Oh, sure, she knows Spanish, too," Tony muttered, sounding jealous. He quickly shut up after noticing the glares Gibbs and Ziva threw at him. She asked him a few questions in Spanish, but he didn't answer. In response, Ziva pulled her gun and yelled something at him. The Mexican's eyes grew. After a few seconds, he finally started to talk. With a lot of gestures he seemed to explain something. Finally, he sighed deep and shuffled a bit closer to his wife. Ziva nodded and turned to the team.<br>"He told me… that the Mob controls everyone in this city. He says that Abby and the other hostages that wanted his help didn't have any chance. Wherever they would've gone; everyone here works for them. Even the police are corrupt. If he would have hidden them, they would've killed him and his wife for sure." She paused. "I think he's telling the truth, Gibbs."  
>"Does he know their headquarters?" Ziva repeated the question in Spanish. The man shook his head, but his wife clearly hesitated. After noticing that all eyes were on her, she said something in Spanish with shaking hands.<br>"That's a yes, right?" Tony asked eagerly. As Ziva confirmed this, Gibbs turned around again, starting the engine.  
>"Take us there," he ordered. "NOW!"<br>The woman didn't give them many instructions because of her immense fear, but after ten minutes or so, she pointed at a big house. It had the same orange color as the rest of the houses and had a square shape, but there was something about it… Gibbs immediately sensed a gut feeling: this was the place. And the chances that Abby was here… were very good.

Yes. Suddenly he was struck by an idea. He turned to McGee.  
>"You still got that phone number?" he didn't bother explain further, because McGee immediately understood what he was getting at.<br>"The kidnappers' phone number? One minute, boss." He flipped open his laptop and screened the text that appeared on the display. "Right…. Here it is." He turned the computer so the silver-haired agent could see. Gibbs smirked. He dialed the number and waited. After the phone rang a few time, it was picked up.  
>"Agent Gibbs?" A familiar voice said. He recognized the man that talked to him last time and put his phone on speaker. The team leaned forward eagerly so they could all listen in. "You got our man out?"<br>"O yeah," Gibbs agreed, to the utter surprise of the others. "I did. What now?" There was silence on the other side for a few seconds. Then the man resumed.  
>"You get him to Mexico, that's what you do." He sounded all brave now, trying to overpower him. Gibbs let him do it. He got the impression that the man was actually still very young and wasn't used to situations like this; hell, he wouldn't be surprised if he didn't have anything to do with the kidnapping at all. Someone else was pulling the strings for sure. But it wasn't like they were going to have something on him for much longer. He just had to get Abby back, and then there was nothing left standing between him and the mystery caller with his bosses.<br>"Okay," He lightly agreed, sounding perfectly okay. That seemed to confuse the kidnapper a little, as he quickly scraped his throat.  
>"Right.. So.. When can you get him in Mexico?"<br>"What about in an hour?" Shocked silence. "Hey? You there?" Gibbs barked.  
>"Y-yes. Okay. An hour. That's… I guess we- I could…"<br>"Is it okay or not?"  
>"It… I don't..." He seemed to have regained his strength a little, as his voice abruptly was caught off. Suddenly another, female, voice spoke.<br>"You're already here? That's very fast, Gibbs. I'm impressed." Tony, McGee and Ziva threw a startled look at each other, but their boss just narrowed his eyes.  
>"Who the hell is this?" he shouted, looking so scary that everyone in the van flinched.<br>"Oh, a little rude are we? Where are you exactly? And do you have the prisoner with you? Hm." The woman sighed. "Frankly, I'm a little disappointed in you Gibbs, seeing as you never let a chance of justice pass. Or do you?" The agent frowned.  
>"<em>What the hell<em> are you talking about?" As no one answered, he softened his voice a little bit. "Yeah, I have the prisoner and we're in Puebla." From the corner of his eyes, he saw McGee mouth "Puebla?" to Tony, who shrugged. Puebla was a city close to Mexico city, Gibbs went there a while ago, to get some wood for his new boat. He was familiar with the place. But that didn't really matter. As long as it was far away from here. Not that far away, but far enough to get them gone for at least one hour. That would be enough time to get Abby out of there.  
>"You better be there in one hour," the woman hissed. "I'll meet you at the embassy that's stationed there. But you better have our guy with you, or you won't see you're the freak girl ever again." Gibbs slammed his jaw together to keep himself from shouting something he would regret later.<br>"Will you take her with you?" he asked instead. The woman huffed.  
>"Yeah, right, like we would be so stupid. You'll never find out where she is until we tell you. And we wanna know if you're telling the truth first."<br>"Fine. One hour, in front of the embassy. I'll be waiting." And Gibbs hung up. Immediately, everyone was questioning him.  
>"But Gibbs, …" Ziva.<br>"I don't understand…" McGee  
>"Boss, why would you…" Dinozzo.<br>"This is Mexico City…" Said the black haired woman they held captive.  
>"Stop!" He barked, trying to get them quiet again. But the noise had already woken Danai, who sleepily opened her eyes.<br>"Are we there yet, mom?" she mumbled, before seeing all the people looking at her from the front of the car. Her bottom lip started to tremble. The special agent closed his eyes briefly trying to regain his calm.  
>"Listen," he said in a voice that was in such a way threatening that everyone abruptly shut up. "We're going to do it this way. When they're going to Puebla, we have a chance of getting Abby out of that building. Everyone clear?"<br>"You decided to lure them away! That's genius," McGee noted exited, rubbing his hands together. "But how will you know if they're not taking Abby with them?"  
>"That's why you," Gibbs pointed at McGee. "Are gonna spy. Starting… now." He threw the youngest agent a set of keys from the silver car they had brought as a spare. "You take the car and take position in front of the house. We'll wait for your sign. McGee? Now?" He added, as the agent hesitated. McGee jumped into action and left the car. Gibbs breathed in deeply and decided this was it. All or nothing. If someone touched his people, he would do everything to get them safe again. But if someone touched Abby…<br>He didn't think anyone could foresee the consequences.  
><strong><br>A/N Yup, end of the chapter already. I hope this didn't bore you too much, and even if it did: There are better chapters currently in progress. Pinky swear!  
><strong>


	18. Chapter 18: Bulletproof

**Chapter 18: bulletproof  
><strong>  
><strong>AN Hi guys, bet no one expected this update, since I'm always this busy/lazy/both. Yeah, I know I've been a terrible updater. So I hope everyone's still reading :)  
><strong>  
>Disclaimer: If I owned NCIS, Gabby wouldn't only exist in the minds of the fans.<strong><br>**Beta: Tino-chan. Like I always say, she's the Lisbon to my Jane XD **  
>BN don't mind her, she means my cas to your kett (caskett) I always laugh out loud when I proof-read it and I see some Dutch sentence, I actually didn't see one once so if you think 'WTF' it's probably Dutch xD**

  
>Xxxx<p>

_Preview: Gibbs breathed in deeply and decided this was it. All or nothing. If someone touched his people, he would do everything to get them safe again. But if someone touched Abby…  
>He didn't think anyone could foresee the consequences.<br>_  
>Xxxx<p>

After a short while everyone in the van was getting frustrated. How in earth was it possible that they hadn't heard something from McGee yet? Did the kidnappers find out about their plan? As Tony was very busy with biting his nails and Ziva was talking softly to Danai, Gibbs just stared in the distance. It was working. It had to work. They were supposed to go to Puebla and leave the hostages behind with some guards. The silver haired agent knew that they weren't planning on just giving Abby back to him, even when he would have brought the prisoner with him. He probably had a bigger chance on getting himself killed by walking into an ambush. So that's why it was so strange that they hadn't heard from McGee yet. Because if they had, that would mean that the kidnappers would have left and that the way to Abby was free.  
>He had to lure them out, no matter what. Shooting everyone that would come into view wasn't the best solution either way.<br>So now all they could do was wait.

…

Gibbs carefully looked around the corner. McGee had called them ten minutes ago, informing them that a white van just had disappeared in the direction of Puebla. Their plan was working, finally, and it had to work. It was their last chance. Getting in the building hadn't been hard, the door was easy to break and there hadn't been someone waiting in the hallway. Apparently, they weren't expecting for someone to be foolish enough to try to break in in the hideout of the mafia. A stupid mistake. Gibbs was willing to go to hell and back if he would be able to get Abby back. He had ordered his team to wait outside, wait for his sign. And he had gone in alone.  
>The front door had opened up in some small corridor with a large number of doors on both sides. Above every door there was a small light that lit up the corridor in some kind of yellowish glow. When he silently closed the door behind him, it made him feel like the outer world was suddenly very far away. He had followed the corridor until it suddenly made a sharp turn to the left.<br>So here he was, glancing around the corner. A strong, muscular man was pacing back and forth in a second corridor, a large gun and a walky-talky visible on his hip.  
>Gibbs estimated his chances. Was he able to get rid of the Mexican man without him alerting the whole building? Probably. He didn't have another choice.<br>Quietly, he slipped around the corner, his gun at the ready. The guard didn't see him in first instance, but when he _did_ spot the silver haired agent, it was already too late; the sound of a gunshot resonated through the small corridor and the man slumped down. Gibbs hated that he had to shoot the man, but he didn't have a choice if he wanted to save his girl. The shot, however, had apparently alerted another guard, who came running down the corridor. Gibbs could barely dive away as a bullet planted itself in the wall where he'd just stood. Gibbs fired back amazingly fast and saw the second man grasp his shoulder, screaming. With his other hand, though, he tried to get his gun back into his grasp. The weapon had fallen out of his hold when he fell down. The NCIS special agent was faster though. He kicked the gun away, out of the reach from the Mexican man. His still seeking hand snapped when Gibbs pressed his foot on it. Hard.  
>"Where is she?" he demanded forcefully. The man groaned as an answer. That made Gibbs' foot come down even harder. "You gonna tell me where you keep your hostages or not?"<br>"H-hosta…?" The man stammered.  
>"NOW!" He yelled, losing his temper altogether. "Where is Abby?" The man's eyes lightened as he recognized the name. That was all Gibbs needed to know. "WHERE?" he barked, grinding his foot. The man screamed and used his not-injured hand to point at the left side if the corridor.<br>"Third door," he groaned in broken English. Gibbs scoffed and lifted his foot. Within seconds he was on his way, halting before the third door on the right. It was made of a dark, strong kind of wood, with iron clasps. There was no way he'd been able to kick _that_ door open. He'd gave to get ahold of the keys somehow. One look over his shoulder informed him that the injured man was still lying on the sandy floor. He stalked back and crouched down next to the terrified Mexican guard.  
>"Keys," he ordered. The poor man didn't know what he meant, judging by the shrugs and gasps of pain. So Gibbs made a turning movement with his hand, implying to open a lock. With shaking hands, the guard handed him a rusty keychain. Unfortunately, at exactly that moment, a clacking noise reached their ears. The sound of high heels on stone.<br>"_Ariro_," the man cursed and finally fainted. Gibbs hesitated –Should he await the woman that was clearly approaching or should he get to the third room, now that he had the keys? His marine senses told him that there was not enough time. So he took place around the corner, invisible from the corridor where the woman was coming from. Ready to give anyone who would come around the corner a hell of a surprise. There she was…  
>"Don't move an inch," he told her grimly, in a low voice. A woman on very high heels with long, brown hair, froze midway her step. She was holding a large weapon, her hand frozen around the trigger. She didn't seem at all surprised to spot him there, with a gun pressed to the side of her head. She didn't move. Instead, a smile started to creep over her face. It was a cruel smile and Gibbs immediately didn't trust the situation. However, there was nobody else coming their way and the corridor was empty.<br>"Well, well," she said, almost cheerful. "Special agent Gibbs. You visit at last." There was something about her voice… He recognized it from the phone call earlier, but there was something else… He knew this woman from something. "What happened? You don't remember me anymore?"  
>Bam. It hit him. This is what he'd been missing, what his gut had been trying to tell him. The connection they couldn't find. How could they've known that Abby was <em>this<em> important to him? Except… if it was someone who knew them. If someone knew _him_ personally.  
>And he knew who this was.<br>"Sarah.. Sarah Candale." Her smile broadened.  
>"So you <em>do<em> remember me. Good. You should. I mean, you didn't just kill someone that day. You killed my mom. My mother!" Her expression became painfully serious. She turned her face to him, disgust plainly visible.  
>"I had no choice," Gibbs simply said. He remembered the case. The mother killed her daughters husband, because he was hitting her. She also had a terminal decease, but that didn't stop them for bringing her to justice. She was put away for murder and had apparently died in prison. "She killed a man."<br>"Yes. For me! You had no right!" She spat furiously. The woman was seriously losing it, and Gibbs knew he had the upper hand. Despite that, he wanted to know why. Why Abby, why here. But for that, he knew he had to push her buttons a bit more.  
>"I did. She killed someone. That was her own fault. Or maybe it was yours, 'cause if you didn't hook up with the guy in the first place, she wouldn't have had to kill him for you…"<br>"Don't you _blame_ this on me!" She interrupted him, tightening her grip on the gun. "This is your fault. All of this is YOUR fault! And when that stupid girl that you like so much won't survive this too, you'll feel how I felt for all those years!" Gibbs mouth tightened. No. He had to stay calm. Calm.  
>"That's not gonna happen, Sarah." He pressed the head of the barrel against the back of her head, forceful. "I don't wanna shoot ya, Sarah."<br>She didn't move, just looked at him with burning eyes.  
>"I even contacted the Mafia for them to kill you. But when that girl showed up in the middle of our plan, it struck. Why just kill you? Why not let you <em>suffer<em> a bit_?_" She breathed out heavily, manically. "Because I, I've suffered!" She started to sob.  
>"Abby won't be the victim of your misplaced anger," he told her, still trying to regain his calm. "I'll let you live. Just drop the gun." Suddenly, the brown haired woman moved, freed herself and pointed her gun at Gibbs.<p>

BAM.

Next was complete silence.


	19. Chapter 19: Realism

Chapter 19: Realism

**A/N I couldn't have you guys hanging in there for too long, could I?**

**I had to pause for a moment there, though, because my four-year-old nephew jumped in my lap and had to 'type a story too.' So after half an hour I had a whole page filled with: nkkjhnkmkkjlllkjkkkkkkk and he was totally happy… Until my little sister ran by, touched him and screamed: "tag! You're it!" So now I have two screaming kids around me. Oh, and I'm the "you touch her you're safe" spot now. Such a motivation. XD**  
><strong>Thnaks for all the kind reviews, I´m really happy! And everyone who complimented me on my English: it's all my beta, guys!<strong>  
><strong>Dedication: Totally my cute little nephew and my little sister, who keep me from working way too often… and who can totally keep doing it. ;)<strong>  
><strong>Beta: Tino-chan, who only laughed as I enthusiastically rambled on at 100 miles per hour about the Castle season finale and who deserves all of the credit in the world for it.<strong>

_Preview:  
>Suddenly, the brown haired woman moved, freed herself and pointed her gun at Gibbs.<br>BAM.  
>Next was complete silence.<em>

Xxxx

Gibbs was breathing heavily. Blood streamed through his fingers, staining the dusty floor.  
>The cold, dead eyes of Sarah watched him trying to bite through his pain, trying to ignore the bullet that had planted itself in his upper arm. But he'd been lucky. While his shot had hit the woman straight in the heart, hers had only hit his arm. Yes, he was bleeding, but he could still go on. He still had the keys. He took his cellphone out of his pocket, dialed Tony's number and let it ring for two times before hanging up. They would be here soon. He silently cursed his old bones as he managed to get up, lift himself off the floor. He wasn't giving up now. Not now he finally had the keys to her, his lab rat, his forensic scientist. His Abby. The door seemed so far away when he stumbled closer, the keys felt like led in his hands. The first one didn't fit. The second one didn't either. The third one fitted… but wouldn't turn. At the same time, Gibbs was trying not to think about what he'd do if she wouldn't be there… The fourth one fitted. And turned. For the eternity of one second, he was frozen with ecstasy, fear and adrenaline all at the same time. Then he pushed open the door.<p>

And looked inside.

The room was very badly lit, dim light shone in through a small window. In the middle of the beam of light sat someone. A girl with dark brown hair and lively eyes stared at him, her eyes wide at the blood that was still rapidly dripping from the wound in his arm. He noticed how her hollow cheeks were covered with tears and took on step towards her. She flinched, crept back in the direction of the darkest corner of the room.  
>"Abby?" Gibbs called, unsure, trying to make his eyes get used to the darkness. He spotted a few figures, but he couldn't quite make out their features.<br>"Go away!" A voice yelled defiantly. A little boy rose up his feet, pulling his hands in his side. "Leave her alone!" the girl he saw before tugged on his shirt, trying to pull him back in the darkness. "No Jasmin!" He complained, trying to pull himself free. "I'm gonna protect her."  
>"Hey, listen," Gibbs said softly, soothing. "I'm not a bad guy." The two children stared at him. "I'm going to save you. My name is Jethro, Jethro Gibbs. Have you seen Abby?" The two children kept staring. "Are you alright?" he added, as the boy suddenly started to cry. He moved from the spot in the corner, and behind him, Gibbs clearly could make out someone laying on the floor… Someone with pitchblack hair…<br>"Abby," he whispered, running to her, falling on his knees. "Abby, no. No!" He shook her shoulders and turned her around so she was lying on her back. He saw the bruises on her pale face, the dried blood on her ripped clothes. She was not moving. No… No… This couldn't be… It wasn't true… He couldn't remember anything, couldn't move. He just stared down at her lifeless face. He didn't notice that he was crying until a tear fell down on her cheek, making it look like it was her tear, like she was still alive. But with this wounds, looking like this… It was impossible for her to be… Oh no, no, no.  
>Gibbs slowly, so slowly, put his finger on her cheekbone, moved up so that it was resting on the curve just under her chin. He was searching for a heartbeat, though he already knew it was in vain. Still, that little bit of hope, that part of him that denied, denied, wasn't going to believe she was gone. He wanted to believe that is was not too late. Ba-dump. Wait, did he just imagine… -Ba-dump. Ba-dump. It was so soft that he almost didn't feel it, but it was definitely there. A small but oh so real heartbeat.<br>Abby Scuito was alive.

Xxxx

Clouds, drifting above a yellowish corn field, looking gold in the afternoon sun. Bees were flying up and down, occasionally landing on one of the rich, colorful flowers that bloomed everywhere. She was staring at the birds high up in the sky, laying on her back. The sky was so blue… Just like his eyes. His… Who's? She didn't remember... So odd. She lifted one arm so that she could look at it. Her favorite black skull bracelet looked nice on her porcelain skin. There was something wrong with this image, but she didn't understand why. She lifted her other arm, rubbed over the black nail polish on her nails with her thump. Everything was so peaceful, so good. So quiet.  
>Why was it so quiet?<br>She pushed herself up so that she was sitting and looked around. Golden stems waved up and down in the wind all around her. It was reaching just above her shoulders; She was sitting in a field on a small open space. It looked a bit like one of those fields that she loved to go to as a child, but how did she end up here? As she stood up, she could see that the field reached for as far as she could go. And what was she wearing? Her white lab coat… _Just_ her white lab coat. Thanks god she could button it up, Abby thought relieved as she felt a blush creep down her face. And thank god, no one was here…  
>Wait. Where exactly was she? She felt all safe and comforted, but something <em>huge <em>was missing. Bert? She looked around and suddenly spotted the familiar grey stuffed animal on the edge of the open space. She picked it up immediately, sweeping off some dirt and pressing it to her chest.  
>"I don't know what this is, but I'm scared, Bert," she whispered to it while she took in the endless field, all around her.<p>

So she was walking. She had been walking for ages now. Since she'd woken up, all she'd even done was walking. Constantly, stems were sweeping in her face, making it hard for her to see; blocking her movements. Why wasn't the corn just a little bit shorter? Suddenly, she noticed that the corn around her seemed shorter than before. She could walk way easier now. Strange.  
>Well, now it was easier to walk, but it wasn't all that great to walk on bear feat, too. She wasn't even surprised to find a pair of her favorite shoes on the ground when she took her next step. Somehow, this was becoming creepy.<br>"I want… a Caf-POW!" Abby said out loud, looking around expectantly. There. On the ground, a red-and-white cup stood between the corn like it had always been there.  
>This was not a coincidence anymore. Somehow, everything she wanted… came true? But that was impossible. The world didn't work that way. There wasn't any forensic evidence explaining this… Forensic evidence.<br>"I want my lab!" Abby said out loud. She didn't see anything, even after her next step. Just corn, corn and- wait. What was that? A couple of meters away, a brown, wooden door was standing in the middle of the field. Just a door. There was no building, nothing to hold the door op, just a door. Slowly, the goth girl approached, closing the distance until she was standing in front of the door. Her hand fit exactly around the handle as she opened the door.  
>And squealed in joy.<br>Her lab, all around her. Finally.  
>Finally. She ran to her babies, touching them all shortly, enjoying the feel of the cold metal under her fingers. Abby started up her computer, watching the digits slide over her screen. She was home.<br>But there was still something missing. A Caf-POW, and someone… Someone to bring it. Someone with pierching blue eyes and a crooked smile, that he seldom showed and only to her. Someone to give her a kiss on her cheek, someone to hug when she was feeling sad… Someone she loved. And now that she knew what she'd forgotten, she couldn't go one more second without him anymore.  
>"I want Gibbs to be here. Please, let Gibbs be here." Inevitable sobs starting to build up in her chests and she wrapped her arms around her stomach. Two different arms wrapped themselves around her, pressing her against a warm body.<br>"Open your eyes, Abbs," a familiar voice said, and suddenly she found that she'd closed them.  
>When she opened her eyes she was greeted by a sea of light.<p>

The light was so bright that she closed her eyes almost immediately again. What was happening? Where was she now? She peered through her eyelids and noticed her pure white lab coat… Only it wasn't really a lab coat. It was a… a hospital suit?  
>She was in a hospital?<br>And then, the pain returned. Every part of her body felt like it was run over by a car. She groaned, put her hand to her head to hopefully stop it from spinning. That's when she noticed the silver hairs against her right hand. Gibbs was sleeping with his head on the side of her bed, his face buried in the bright white blanket. She slowly lifted her left hand –the one that hurt the least- and stroked over his hair, waking him up. His bright eyes greeted her and there she found exactly what she was looking for. Something she'd had been waiting to see for all those days in her prison –something she'd been waiting to see for her whole life.  
>And as he took her hands between his and carefully planted a kiss on them, she could see tears in the corner of his eyes. Similar tears threatened to fall down her own cheeks as she realized it.<br>She loved him.

And he loved her.

Xxxx

**A/N So? So? Finally right? I'm feeling like that, too! I wanted to make it all complicated, from the point of view from Tony and the rest of the team (yeah, I kind of favor Tony. Maybe that's because he's so easy to figure out). **

**And next chapter will be last… I´m finally ending this story. Can you believe it? I can't! xD But I've already written it, so it will be up soon. **


	20. Chapter 20: Final Moonlight

Chapter 20: Final moonlight

**A/N Yes everyone, this will finally be the last chapter… This has become such a long story and I got great reviews, thank you all so much! I think chapter 20 is a great chapter to finish this, though I'm a little sad now… ;)**  
><strong>But maybe I could be persuaded to do a prologue. Let's see what you come up with. :)<strong>  
><strong>Or maybe I will do a sequel, if anyone asks for it, so let me know if you do? I could also write a Oneshot about Gabby (though I have my other story 'love from the couch' first, and I'm thinking about a Castle story too) but NCIS is still on my list. So maybe I see you all next time!<strong>

**B/N LAST CHAPTER? Was my reaction.. anyway, thanks to loes-chan for letting me beta this. The only reason I love being a beta is because I can read everything first, but don't tell her!**

Dislaimer: I'm sick of disclaimers. I'm not saying a word anymore.**  
><strong>Beta: Tino, you were great with this story. You've truly been an amazing beta and don't worry: I'll keep you busy! :D How's it going with the list why Nathan Fillian is the most amazing person ever?

Preview: _And as he took her hands between his and carefully planted a kiss on them, she could see tears in the corner of his eyes. Similar tears threatened to fall down her own cheeks as she realized it.  
>She loved him.<em>

And he loved her.

Xxxx

"WHAT?" Gibbs stared at her as she nervously swept one loose strand of hair behind her ears. "You came here in the middle of the night because of _what?_" Abby was in Gibbs' bed, leaning against a pile of pillows that Gibbs had arranged behind her back so she could sit up. When the doctors had declared her good enough to go home, she had hesitated. Should she go back home alone? What would Gibbs do? He had visited her every day when she was in the hospital and she noticed he was frantic about her leaving his sight. Like he felt that she would just disappear if he would look the other way for a second.  
>Frankly, she didn't know what kind of relationship they were having. Okay, so he'd kissed her. The day that she'd woken up, actually. It had been amazing, and so full of love… and okay, she was for 90% sure that he actually loved her. But he hadn't actually said it, and a girl had to hear the words, right? So she'd been a little nervous when she'd called him with the good news. But it appears that she had worried about nothing.<br>He was there in ten minutes with a big bag for her stuff and no intention on letting her go to her own place.  
>But it wasn't so bad, the forensic scientist thought satisfied, as Gibbs had put her in his bed immediately, to make sure she would get enough rest. She wasn't her energetic self yet but she was making progress. The wounds were slowly healing and the pain was completely under control with some painkillers. Besides, she got rid of the way too white hospital gown and put on her favorite black pyjamas. Not the one with the skulls- that one she would never wear again, because it reminded her too much of the time in the dark room. And besides, it probably wasn't possible to repair it anyway- But it was great and she finally felt like herself again.<br>Especially with him being there.  
>Gibbs had been sitting on the side of the bed for an hour now and they were talking about small things… until the night of her abduction came up.<br>She never, well, actually told him why she'd been at his house around three pm that day.  
>"You came here in the middle of the night because of <em>what?<em>" He told her with wide eyes, shocked. "A _nightmare_?" He gasped for words. Abby lifted her head defiantly.  
>"I was really scared something had happened to you, Gibbs!" Wasn't that obvious? "Dreams can be predictive!" She crossed her arms before her chest. Of course, her dream had turned out for the worst… for both of them.<br>"Are you crazy?" He grabbed her shoulders, almost shaking her. "Do you have ANY idea- "he stopped, breathed in heavily. "You could've ended up dead," he finally finished, releasing her. Instead, he brought one hand to her hair, playfully tugging on one of her ponytails. The look in his eyes, however, was painfully serious.  
>"I'm sorry Gibbs," the girl whispered, hanging her head. She took his hand between hers and placed soft a kiss on it, feeling tears coming up. "I know you don't believe in coincidences, but it really <em>was<em> a coincidence that I was there." She was afraid he was going to yell or something, that it was dangerous and stupid- and how could she bring herself in so much danger? She knew that already. She'd already been through that, blaming herself over and over. But to her surprise, Gibbs lifted her chin with his thump and kissed her softly. The black haired girl kissed him back without a doubt, breathing in the smell of wood and everything that was just… him. They tried to make the kiss last as long as possible, so when they finally parted, they were both breathing heavily. Gibbs rested his forehead to hers.  
>"I could've lost you Abbs," he whispered in her ear, barely hearable. In response, she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him on the bed, pressing herself to his chest.<br>"I'm here now. I'm safe. You saved me." She needed to convince him, to make him stop hurting.  
>He chuckled softly and pulled her closer.<br>"It won't matter anymore now anyway," he said almost teasingly. "It's not like you will ever have to go out in the middle of the night to check up on me anymore, now that you're staying here." Abby frowned her eyebrows.  
>"Ever?" As he didn't answer, she pulled herself free so she could have a look at his face. "Do you mean-"<br>"I'm not letting you go ever again," he interrupted, placing a kiss on her forehead. "And if you want to stay with me forever, too, I can get your stuff tomorrow." He waited nervously for her answer.  
>"You're asking me… to move in with you?" Her chin almost dropped at his gruff nod. But… was he serious?<br>"Like hell," he added, guessing her thoughts. "I love you Abbs."  
>"I… I love you too," she stuttered, and that answered his other question. "Yes yes yes, I want that." She could suddenly picture herself, sitting on this bed every morning and looking down at Gibbs's sleeping face, helping him build his boat and finally solving the mystery… A broad smile appeared on her face. Nothing could make this moment more amazing. … Except maybe some Caf-POW, which was still not allowed –hoe bad could caffeine be, really?<br>"Okay," Gibbs said, smiling too. He then kissed her again and she felt that, yes, she could definitely get used to this. He let her go and slid off the bed, pulling the blankets a little closer around her.  
>"You should sleep for a little bit now, though."<br>"Now?" Abby complained shocked. "Not now!" But this was Gibbs she was dealing with. He put some of the pillows away without an argument and kissed her goodnight, promising he'd be up in an hour as soon as he was done working on his boat. When he was just about to leave the room, she suddenly remembered something.  
>"Gibbs? Wait.. Just one thing."<br>"Yeah?"  
>"Can I bring my coffin?"<br>"Nope," he said playfully, before winking at her and closing the door behind him, leaving her with a big smile on her face.

Abby pulled the covers a little bit closer around her, settling her head on the pillow. Through a small opening between the long, white curtains fell a bright beam of moonlight, forming a bright spot exactly next to her head. The Goth girl sighed. She remembered how the light of the moon always had remembered her of Gibbs, even when all she could see was a glimpse between bars. It had led him to her, because that was how she figured out she was in Mexico. It was all sort of linked together, she realized. How funny.  
>But she has to go to sleep now, tomorrow was going to be a busy day. Danai and Jadelin were going to visit and she knew how energizing those two could be. They were doing much better now that they were back together, back home. She would never forget the look on their parents faces when they visited in the hospital and thanked her for protecting their daughters. They actually became very good friends with her and Gibbs and she absolutely loved the twins, so she was definitely keeping in touch with the family. Jasmin was back home, too, all the way in Miami, but she wrote her a letter earlier, telling about her parents and how happy she was to be back. It made the forensic scientist smile for an hour. The little boy, Luca, was temporarily placed at a foster family. He was really traumatizes, as he was the one being there the longest. His father, who rejected to pay for his release, had lost custody. Abby prayed that with time and treatment, things would slowly turn out better for him too. She was going to visit him soon and decided to spoil him rotten.<br>Victor got a beautiful headstone close to Kate's –maybe they could visit all together soon, too. She said a little prayer for him too, and looked at the moonlight on the white blanket once again. They were all safe. The whole mafia gang was actually caught, by the CIA. Fornell had been alerted by McGee and had made sure his colleagues from the CIA had been waiting in Puebla, ready to bring them in.  
>Through the curtains, she could vaguely see the moon. Now she no longer had to wish for him to be there anymore, she thought content as she closed her eyes. She was going to be with her silver haired fox… forever.<p>

And with that thought in her head, she peacefully fell asleep.

**A/N So that was it. Time to say goodbye. *sobs* I'll see you all in my next story, but don't forget to leave some feedback! What did you think of this story? I'd love to hear from you!  
>I can for instance write a sequel about them adopting Luca… or about someone's kind of view on everything that happened… or something else entirely.<strong>

**Hm.. ideas, ideas, I've got plenty, but as you all know, I'm usually pretty busy… and well, my English isn't still all too well. But anyway, I'm not giving up. See you!**


	21. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

**A/N Hi everyone!  
>I know I really should be working on ´tea and sea shells´ and I am, but I just got so busy with school and I also got a little stuck with writers block. The readers of that story will have to wait a little bit more, sorry...<strong>

**Some readers told me they wanted to see Abby and Gibbs adopt Luca. I'm gonna be honest: I like the idea, but I don't like the whole we-got-a-baby-yay thing. That's not gonna happen. This'll stay a just an epilogue for now, because I'm going to Africa for half a year to do volunteer work, so I won't be doing any writing soon.**

**Oh, did any of you see the episode where Abby gets a nightmare and calls Gibbs? I was so amazed! I kept staring at the tv screen with my mouth open and I went like: Omg maybe she'll be kidnapped now! But she wasn't. Hm. It's too bad, really.**

This epilogue is for Kyddo!

Anyways, enjoy!

Xxx

A year. A whole year.

A lot of things happened in a year.

People change, move, fall in and out of love.

Just one year.

People are born. And people die.

She wasn't going to say it was _just _one year since she was kidnapped, but it didn't feel like that long. Abby could remember the horror of being imprisoned all too well. She didn't think those faces would ever disappear from her dreams. They probably would stay with her for the rest of her life, and she wouldn´t know what she would´ve done if she would be alone in this. Thank god she wasn´t coping alone. She thought of him with an absent smile while she slowly brushed her black hair that was still dripping from the shower. The bags under her eyes revealed just a little too much of the horror that would captivate her at every least expected moment and leave her restless for hours. If it wasn't for him… She sighed and put down her brush.  
>The man that was with her during all the nightmares was also the only one that could help her get through them. The one person that would head-slap everyone who would bother her and would bring her a caf-POW afterwards. Gibbs.<p>

She had moved in with him. Her stuff was now in his house, reminding her every day how lucky she was. When they would cuddle on his couch, he would often tuck her in her blanket with the skull pattern to make sure she wasn´t cold and just stroke her hair.  
>He was everything.<br>She didn´t know how she had managed to get through every single day without him being there for her. So even if it didn´t feel that long, she was already completely used to them being, well them. Not everything had changed though. She was still working at NCIS as the brilliant young scientist, solving cases every day. Ziva and Tony, well of course they denied everything, were sort of an item. They didn´t give anything away, but you couldn´t fool Gibbs. And everything Gibbs knew, Abby knew. She finished brushing her hair and applied some extra make-up under her eyes. Not like she would fool Gibbs but she could at least try, right?  
>She pulled on a light green sweater and tried to spot her cell phone in the progress. This time she was not calling the thing with Gibbs phone to find it. This time she was just gonna remember where she put it…<br>"Gotcha," the girl mumbled out loud when she pulled the phone out from under a black t-shirt that she had carelessly tossed on a chair earlier. The bright screen told her that she was, in fact, very late. One look out of the window told the black haired girl that Gibbs wasn't sitting in his car yet. So she wasn't really that late… She could easily look for another pair of boots since she had to look her best today and these just didn't suit her mood. Her car had finally broken down about half a year ago, resulting in them car-pooling every workday- not like they didn't do that before.  
>One year. So much had happened.<br>All of the kids she had got to know so well in that time in Mexico had grown older. Abby hadn't seen them for so long! She was actually a little nervous to see them today.  
>Would they still be the same? What if they didn't like her anymore?<p>

Suddenly, she just really needed Gibbs.

Xxxx

"Come on, we're gonna be late!" Gibbs yelled, standing on the bottom of the stairs. What was it with women and being late? He was just about to give up and already go start the car, when his favorite girl came rushing down. Because of the speed, she almost made them both fall over when she jumped into his arms.  
>"Hey beautiful," the silver haired man murmured, burying his face in her soft hair. She hadn't pulled it up in her ponytails yet and it flowed gracefully around her shoulders. He loved the smell of her shampoo and the feel of his embrace around her small shoulders.<p>

It had been exactly a year since she'd disappeared. Yet not a day had passed in which he didn't think about it. Usually at night, when he would suddenly wake up and didn't immediately see her. Of course, Gibbs always found her right there beside him when he blinked a few times. She was his now. His to care about, to protect.

To love.

His little lab rat was finally his. It was still so much to take in. Lovingly, he brushed his lips against hers, tightening his embrace. She immediately kissed him back. After a moment they parted, panting.  
>"You know you're the one making us terribly late now, do you?" Abby whispered teasingly in his ear.<br>"Yeah, I know," he told her absently, while running his fingers through her hair. After a few seconds, he slowly released her. But not without feeling that particular pang of regret he always felt when he had to let her go. "You're right, though. We should get going." Gibbs ran his eyes up and down her figure. "You sure we're ready?" She was wearing a black dress that fell just above the knee. Black lace decorated her pale skin and she looked beautiful. But the dress left her arms bare and Gibbs noticed her shivering.

"I´ll get your coat," he offered gently, and helped her put it on. When he carefully fastened the buttons he caught her staring at him. "What?" he asked amused, opening the door for her.  
>"Nothing," she answered semi-innocent, with lights sparkling in her emerald eyes. The black haired girl remained silent when they walked out of Gibbs front yard. Suddenly, she stopped and turned to him. "I'm just… I'm just really happy that I have you with me." That made him smile. He grasped her hand in his and pulled her against his side. He leaned in and whispered:<br>"Same here," in her ear. He grabbed her hand and they started walking, like the couples that they'd both watched with so much envy before. Gibbs felt so content, like he was still dreaming.

Xxxx

It was already four pm when they reached the bar where they were supposed to meet the others. They were already there, and that made the forensic scientist realize that they actually _were _a little late. The only they saw first was Jasmin. She was absently drinking a glass of apple juice, now and then gesturing something to a woman who was sitting next to her. That must be her mother, Abby realized. They had come all the way from Miami just to be here this day. Without thinking, she released Gibbs' hand and ran to the girl, wrapping her in a big hug. Jasmin almost dropped her drink when he enthusiastically answered the hug. Soon they were engaged in a vivid conversation, their hands moving as fast as lightning. The Goth girl someone tapping her shoulder and she turned around, only to shriek at the sight of the twins. She immediately sank to her knees.

"Danai! Jadelyn! How are you two? Not getting in trouble, I hope?" she told them with a wink. "Oh, I love how you did your hair, so cool!" The two little girls buried themselves in her arms while loudly calling her name. She hadn't seen them for two months or so, because they had just gone on a holiday to France. Their parents were standing behind them, smiling fondly. Ever since they had both of their children back unharmed they were determined to spent as much time with them as possible. Hence the trip to Paris. The two girls were dressed in identical pink coats and red scarves. It would probably make it really hard for Gibbs to keep them apart, the black haired girl realized. She threw a look over her shoulder and caught his eye. He looked slightly uncomfortable. Just what she thought.  
>"Gibbs, look how pretty Jadelin's scarf is!" She told him while pointing at Jadelin.<br>"Yeah, I can see it." Gibbs gave them a friendly smile.  
>"Hey, my scarf is pretty too!" Danai yelled, pushing her sister aside. Jadelin pushed back and both sisters looked at each other angrily.<br>"Hey, you both look very nice," the senior agent told them. "Where did you buy them?"  
>"Oh! We went to Paris!"<br>"Yeah and it was so much fun!"  
>"And we saw the Eiffel tower-"<br>"Yeah, the tower!"  
>"And we buyed an little Eiffel tower, too!"<br>"And, and…"

As Gibbs listened to the two girls chatting away, Abby went searching for the very last person that they were expecting. The bar was pretty crowded, but after she looked around, she knew that he wasn't here for sure. The girl threw a look at her watch. Ten past four. Hm. Luca was late. Jasmin's mother came up to her, pointing at the clock.  
>"I'm sorry, but if we want to catch our bus later we really have to leave."<br>"Yeah, okay, just… let me check one more time." Abby felt really troubled. They had to go, but Luca wasn't here yet. She bit her lower lip, trying to think of a plan. Suddenly, she had an idea. The forensic scientist cleared her throat.  
>"Okay, listen people! Since Luca isn't here yet, I'm gonna pick him up and meet everyone in ten minutes at the cemetery. Everyone fine with this?" No one complained. They all retrieved their coats and headed for their cars. Someone grasped her wrist. Gibbs.<br>"Sorry," she said, biting her lip. "I just feel like something is wrong. We can't go to Victor without Luca. That's just not right, Gibbs!" He didn't say anything, just gave her the 'shut-up-and-just-do-it' look. His girlfriend grinned. She knew that look all too well. "You can drive."

Xxxx

Gibbs observed her silently as Abby searched for the address with her phone.  
>"Found it!" she declared only moments later, and entered the data in their GPS system. For Gibbs, it was all a big mystery how she could get a hold of the information that quickly, but he decided to give it a rest. He was never going to understand modern equipment anyway. He glanced at the screen. To his relief, it was a five-minute drive. Good. His girl was nervous enough already, to the point of biting her nails. This was really bugging her.<br>He put his free hand on her knee, as a way of comfort. Softly stroking up and down.  
>"We're almost there." She nodded.<br>"I know."

They spent the rest of the time in silence until the silver haired agent parked the car in front of an ordinary town house. Abby was already leaving the car, when he stopped her.  
>"You're not going in there alone." He left the car and opened the door for her. "Let's go." She stared at him for a few seconds, before sighing and taking his hand. It wasn't like she didn't know where his over-protecting behavior came from. He was always like this, buttoning up her coat, opening doors, never letting her leave his sight. It had slowly become a second nature of his, and Abby had slowly gotten used to it, because she let him do those things. He gave her a small kiss on her cheek and gestured for her to follow him. Abby walked up the front steps and rang the bell. Heavy footsteps became audible. As the door opened, they were faced with a large, muscular man. He reeked of beer and his tight blue shirt was covered in dirty stains. The man narrowed his small pig-like eyes when he saw the people standing on his doorstep.<p>

"And who may you be?" he asked, rather impolite. Abby took a small step back, causing her to bump against Gibbs' chest. The ex marine, however, wasn't in the least intimidated. He tried to surreptitiously place his body protectively in front her.  
>"Special agent Gibbs, NCIS." He flashed his badge, and noticed with satisfaction how the man suddenly looked a tad anxious. "We're here for Luca," Abby added. The man narrowed his eyes again.<br>"Who?"  
>"Isn't this the address of Luca West?" Gibbs frowned. That little boy couldn't really be living with this person. However, the man's face suddenly lit up.<br>"Oh, that kid. Yeah, sure, I'll get him. You stay here. I mean it." The threat was obvious. They looked at each other with mirroring looks of horror. Tears were already forming in Abby's eyes as she shuffled just a bit closer to him. Then they heard a noise and the man pushed the door open again.  
>"Sorry. He's ill and can't come down. Can't help you. Bye." He was already closing the door when Gibbs firmly intervened by putting a foot between the door and the wall. Fast as lightning, he grabbed the man's collar and roughly pulled him forwards so that his face was really close to his.<br>"Listen. You got a choice here. Either you show us the boy right now, or I'll call for a warrant. That might take me an hour but then my team _will_ turn this entire place upside down. Your choice."  
>The man paled visibly.<br>"O-okay. Just... wait." The man stumbled away again, leaving the smell of alcohol again. Abby was really shaking now. Gibbs could feel her shivering against him. If that little boy was hurt in any way, he was going to kill the guy.

Soft footsteps. Little hands pushed open the door. It instantly closed behind him, but they didn't care. Because Luca was standing there, staring at them with big, hazy eyes like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. He was wearing a thin shirt and shorts despite the cold weather, causing him to shiver all over. Abby wrapped him a tight hug, rubbing her hands up and down his arms. She didn't seem to be able to talk, so Gibbs addressed the boy himself.  
>"Luca? Are you alright?" he asked in a gentle voice. The boy turned his head to the NCIS agent without indicating that he'd actually heard him. "Are you hurt somewhere?" The boy slowly shrugged. "Come Abbs, get him in the car." She lifted the boy and he opened the car door for them. The forensic scientist pulled him up her lap in the front seat, while he walked around and climbed in the driver's seat. He immediately turned to Abby and Luca.<br>"Is he alright?"  
>"Gibbs…" she managed to say. "He´s not responding".<p>

Xxx

"Yes, he's finally sleeping now. Yes, he's really alright. After the hospital gave him permission to leave, we took him to our home. He's probably staying here for a while, so you can come visit anytime you want. Did you leave a flower from me with Victor? Thanks so much. Yes, I'll talk to you soon. Bye!" Gibbs listened as his Abby finished her conversation with Jadelin and Danai's mother and turned to him with tired eyes. He knew how this day had put a strain on her. After Luka had fainted in the car, he had driven to the hospital as soon as possible. After a fast check-up, the doctors concluded that he suffered from malnutrition and he caught a bad cold. Combine that with the thin clothes he'd been wearing and you got a deadly combination. The NCIS agent had seen Abby turn more pale with every word the doctor said and he felt anger building up inside of him. He knew his usual bubbly Goth girl would blame herself for this, no matter what he would say. Why hadn't they checked up on Luca earlier? As if she was guessing his thoughts, Abby looked at him and asked:  
>"Why didn't we see this Gibbs? Why didn't <em>I<em> see this?" She didn't let him answer, instead started pacing across the room. "I talked to him over the phone just a few days ago and he seemed just fine! Maybe a little tired, but I didn't thought… God, was I too busy with myself to notice anything was wrong? I haven't seen him in months, Gibbs! I should've… should have…" She broke down, softly crying and he was at her side in two seconds, pulling her in a warm embrace.  
>"Shh," he told her softly, stroking her back. "It's alright. He's alright."<br>"I should go…" She freed herself from his hold. "I should check up on him."  
>"Hey. Abby, look at me." She turned around. "We're in this together, okay? And the people who put him in that foster home are going down. We're on this." Abby said nothing. For a second, it looked like she might start crying again, but then she bravely swallowed and brushed away her tears with the back of her hand.<br>"Okay." She managed a weak smile and went upstairs, where the little boy was sleeping in their guest room. Gibbs had to stop himself from following her and instead went to make some calls.

3 months later

"Look kid, just move this thing up and down, it makes the wood feel very soft. See?" The little boy rubbed with his hand over the side of the boat and nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! Can I try, can I try?"  
>"Sure." Gibbs gave him the sanding tool and watched in amusement as the boy stood on the tip of his toes, trying to reach as high as possible. "Come here, I'll lift ya." He lifted him up and the boy started sanding with the tip of his tongue sticking out of his mouth.<p>

"Still working on the boat, I see?" They both turned their heads to the top of the stairs where Abby was standing, looking amused. "Then I guess there's no time for lemonade now, is there?"  
>"There is!" Luca yelled, trying to get down. Gibbs let him go with a laugh and watched as the little boy ran up the stairs, following Abby to the kitchen. It'd only been a few months, but the little boy was finally becoming exactly that: just a little boy. He was not the thin, scarred boy anymore with the expression of a person who'd seen too much pain in their life and who had just given up. It hadn't been easy to get him to trust them, but Luca finally felt at peace again. That's why today it was the perfect day to tell him the news. Even Abby didn't know yet. Gibbs smiled as he carefully put the sander back into its box. She was going to be thrilled.<br>He had been pulling strings and collecting favors for a while now, but it was finally official.

Gibbs placed the box on its shelf and observed his boat for a moment. It was almost finished now. But this time, he wasn't going to break it down. He was going to keep it and sail with his soon-to-be-wife and son.

But first, there were more important things to do.

He went up the stairs to tell Luca he was finally home.


End file.
